General Belgrano Bridge
Encyclopedia
The General Manuel Belgrano Bridge is a road bridge
that joins the Argentine
cities of Corrientes
(capital of the Corrientes Province
in the Mesopotamia
) and Resistencia
(capital of Chaco
) over the course of the Paraná River
(near the confluence with the Paraguay River
). It was opened on May 10, 1973.
The bridge joins Corrientes' Provincial Route 12 with Chaco's Provincial Routes 11 and 16. The main part of the bridge measures 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft) in length and stands at 35 metres (114.8 ft) over the river, with cable-stayed section
with spans 163.5 m (536.4 ft) + 245 m (803.8 ft) + 163.5 m (536.4 ft). It has two A-shaped main towers that are 83 metres (272.3 ft) high. The road is 8.3 metres (27.2 ft) wide and has two lanes, plus two lateral pedestrian ways, each 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) wide.
In 1999 the province of Corrientes was in the midst of a popular uprising, with protestors asking for the resignation of the provincial government. On 1999-12-17 the traffic over the bridge was blocked by demonstrators
. The Gendarmerie intervened to suppress the protest, and killed two people. As of 2006 the investigations about the responsibility for these killings are still in progress.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
that joins the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
cities of Corrientes
Corrientes
Corrientes is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12...
(capital of the Corrientes Province
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
in the Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia, Argentina
La Mesopotamia, Región Mesopotámica is the humid and verdant area of north-east Argentina, comprising the provinces of Misiones, Entre Ríos and Corrientes. The region called Litoral consists of the Mesopotamia and the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe...
) and Resistencia
Resistencia
Resistencia may refer to:* Resistencia, Chaco, a city in Argentina* Resistencia International Airport , an airport in Chaco Province, Argentina* Resistencia Civil, Civil resistance* La Resistencia, a 1972 Argentine film...
(capital of Chaco
Chaco Province
Chaco is an Argentine province located in the north of the country, near the border with Paraguay. Its capital is Resistencia on the Paraná River opposite the city of Corrientes...
) over the course of the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
(near the confluence with the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
). It was opened on May 10, 1973.
The bridge joins Corrientes' Provincial Route 12 with Chaco's Provincial Routes 11 and 16. The main part of the bridge measures 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft) in length and stands at 35 metres (114.8 ft) over the river, with cable-stayed section
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
with spans 163.5 m (536.4 ft) + 245 m (803.8 ft) + 163.5 m (536.4 ft). It has two A-shaped main towers that are 83 metres (272.3 ft) high. The road is 8.3 metres (27.2 ft) wide and has two lanes, plus two lateral pedestrian ways, each 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) wide.
In 1999 the province of Corrientes was in the midst of a popular uprising, with protestors asking for the resignation of the provincial government. On 1999-12-17 the traffic over the bridge was blocked by demonstrators
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
. The Gendarmerie intervened to suppress the protest, and killed two people. As of 2006 the investigations about the responsibility for these killings are still in progress.