Madrid - Extremadura - Portuguese Border HSR Link
On following pages we are bringing you information about two of the
most important structures on the HSR (High Speed Railway) Line that
will eventually connect Madrid and Lisbon:
The viaducts crossing the Tagus (Tajo) and Almonte rivers, at the Alcántara reservoir
Tagus (Tajo) River Viaduct
The width of the obstacles to be bridged, the
impossibility of using piles in the riverbeds and the
requirement to respect the environmental impact
statement, have led to both having a “concrete arch”
design, with main spans of 324 and 384 metres,
respectively.
The 384 metres without supports of the central span
of the viaduct over the Almonte River make it the
widest span arched concrete railway bridge in the
world. The construction process chosen for erecting
both bridges is similar to that used successfully for the
Contreras Viaduct, on the Levante line.
Meeting the challenge of constructing this type of
viaduct confirms the high level of Spanish
infrastructure engineering.
Almonte River Viaduct
4/2016