Puente de la Pólvora
Encyclopedia
El Puente de la Pólvora (Spanish
for the Black-powder Bridge) was a metallic bridge with stone abutments spanning the Segura
River. The structure was completed with five stone arches on the left side of the bridge designed to span the river flood plain. Built between 1870 and 1877 in the vicinity of Javalí Viejo and Alcantarilla
, in the Región de Murcia (Spain
), the bridge was designed by the civil engineers Manuel Pardo Sánchez-Salvador (for the stone structure) and José Caunedo Sánchez (for the metallic structure). Both structures were built by Pedro Díaz Sánchez y Francisco Peña y Baquero respectively.
The bridge was originally built to allow the transit of black powder convoys arriving from the neighbouring military factory and heading to the Port of Cartagena
. Prior to the construction of the bridge, these dangerous convoys had to pass periodically through the city of Murcia
in order to cross the river by the only existing bridge over the Segura in the vicinity: El Puente de los Peligros
. Until the construction of the bridge, the inhabitants of Murcia
complained repeatedly about the risk that those black powder transports meant for the city.
In 1975, the metallic structure was dismantled and sold as scrap due to the construction, in 1974, of a reinforced concrete
bridge few meters upstream. Later on, the right abutment was demolished during the channelling of the river. The left abutment and the five stone arches still remain in place and are currently used to access the river channelling service road.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for the Black-powder Bridge) was a metallic bridge with stone abutments spanning the Segura
Segura
Segura is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain.It starts at Santiago Pontones , passes Calasparra, Cieza, Murcia, Beniaján, Orihuela, Rojales and ends in the Mediterranean Sea near Guardamar del Segura in the province of Alicante...
River. The structure was completed with five stone arches on the left side of the bridge designed to span the river flood plain. Built between 1870 and 1877 in the vicinity of Javalí Viejo and Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla is a town and municipality in southeastern Spain, in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. The town is only 7 km away from the capital of the region, the city of Murcia, and one of its peculiarities is that it is completely surrounded by "pedanías" of the municipality...
, in the Región de Murcia (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), the bridge was designed by the civil engineers Manuel Pardo Sánchez-Salvador (for the stone structure) and José Caunedo Sánchez (for the metallic structure). Both structures were built by Pedro Díaz Sánchez y Francisco Peña y Baquero respectively.
The bridge was originally built to allow the transit of black powder convoys arriving from the neighbouring military factory and heading to the Port of Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
. Prior to the construction of the bridge, these dangerous convoys had to pass periodically through the city of Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
in order to cross the river by the only existing bridge over the Segura in the vicinity: El Puente de los Peligros
Puente de los Peligros
The Puente de los Peligros or also known as the Puente Viejo is an arched stone bridge, completed in 1742, that spans the River Segura in the city of Murcia ....
. Until the construction of the bridge, the inhabitants of Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
complained repeatedly about the risk that those black powder transports meant for the city.
In 1975, the metallic structure was dismantled and sold as scrap due to the construction, in 1974, of a reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
bridge few meters upstream. Later on, the right abutment was demolished during the channelling of the river. The left abutment and the five stone arches still remain in place and are currently used to access the river channelling service road.