Europe's 'longest bridge' which cost £746.5m to build

The Vasco da Gama Bridge, located in Lisbon, Portugal, is the longest bridge in Europe. Its length is equal to 17,185 meters. The bridge completed in 1995, and it was built to facilitate vehicle traffic between the northern and southern regions of the country. The project took four years to construct at a cost of £746.5 million. It was officially inaugurated in 1998 to mark the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route from Europe to India in 1498.

Designed to last 120 years, the bridge can withstand wind speeds up to 250 km/h. It carries six lanes of traffic with a speed limit of 75mph, though this is reduced to 56mph in adverse weather conditions such as rain, wind, or fog. There are plans to expand the bridge to eight lanes when traffic levels increase.

The bridge is one of the emblematic structures in Lisbon attracting many visitors; many of them use the bridge as a scenic backdrop for photos. It is mentioned that, in 2023, Portugal welcomed more than 2.3 million visitors from the UK, making it the second most popular destination for British tourists, second only to Spain.