Puente Romano, Mérida

The Puente Romano (Spanish for Roman Bridge) is a Roman bridge over the Guadiana River at Mérida in southwest Spain.

Puente Romano
Puente Romano as seen from the Alcazaba.
Coordinates	38°54′47″N 6°21′03″W
Crosses	Guadiana River
Locale	Mérida, Spain
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge
Material	Granite ashlar
Total length	790 m (incl. approaches)
Width	Ca. 7.1 m
Longest span	11.6 m
No. of spans	60 (incl. 3 buried)
History
Construction end	Reign of Trajan (98–117 AD)
Statistics
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Roman Bridge over Guadiana River
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv
Designated	1993 (17th session)
Part of	Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida
Reference no.	664-004
Region	Europe and North America
Spanish Cultural Heritage
Official name	Puente Romano sobre El Guadiana
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	13 December 1912
Reference no.	RI-51-0000110
Location

It is the world's longest (in terms of distance) surviving bridge from ancient times, having once featured an estimated overall length of 755 m with 62 spans. Today, there are 60 spans (three of which are buried on the southern bank) on a length of 721 m between the abutments. Including the approaches, the structure totals 790 m. It is still in use, but was pedestrianized in 1991 as road traffic was redirected to use the nearby Lusitania Bridge.

Annexed to the bridge is the Alcazaba of Mérida, a Moorish fortification built in 835.

Close to the remains of the Acueducto de los Milagros, there exists another Roman bridge at Mérida, the much smaller Puente de Albarregas.

See also

• List of Roman bridges
• Roman architecture
• Roman engineering

Sources

• O’Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, pp. 106f. (SP15), ISBN 0-521-39326-4

External links

• Media related to Roman bridge, Mérida at Wikimedia Commons
• Puente Romano (Mérida) at Structurae
• Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works