It’s probably where the eye wanders. A colossal bridge over the Tagus River estuary, connecting Lisbon to Alcochete and Montijo. Today, it seems like it has always been there, but its history is not that old. Desired and planned for a long time, it was with the 1998 World Expo (Expo 98) happening in Lisbon that the Vasco da Gama Bridge finally took shape. The name is a tribute to Vasco da Gama, celebrated in 1998 for the 500th anniversary of his arrival in India. “A dream come true,” was heard on one side. “An extraordinary work,” was pointed out on the other. If it is true that the Vasco da Gama Bridge was designed as an alternative to the 25 de Abril Bridge, as a way to help ease traffic flow, it is impossible to talk about this advance without also looking at the entire evolution of the area. New connections were created, the city expanded, and on the other side of the river, Alcochete and Montijo also grew. Suddenly, a path that could take over an hour was done in 20 minutes on a bridge like no other.

With a total length of 17.2 kilometers, 12 of which are over the river, the Vasco da Gama Bridge, officially inaugurated on March 29, 1998, became the largest bridge in Europe, only surpassed in 2018 by the Crimean Bridge with 18.1 kilometers.