Luís I Bridge

The double-deck iron arch of the Dom Luís the First Bridge spans the Douro River with a wide, parabolic curve. Teófilo Seyrig, a former business partner of Gustave Eiffel, designed this structure to replace an older, dangerous pontoon bridge. When it opened in eighteen eighty-six, the upper deck carried pedestrians and trains, while the lower deck handled road traffic. During the inauguration, King Luís the First watched as the first workers crossed the span, officially connecting the granite cliffs of Porto and Gaia.