Rio-Niterói bridge

The Rio-Niteroi Bridge is a Box girder bridge that connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi in Brazil.

Rio-Niteroi Bridge

Official name                                         President Costa e Silva Bridge

Locale                                                   Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi, Brazil

Design                                                  Box girder bridge

Total length                                         13,290 m (8.25 miles)

Width                                                   72 m (236.22 ft)

Beginning date of construction           August 23, 1968

Completion date                                 January, 1969

Opening date                                      March 4, 1974

Construction began symbolically on August 23, 1968, with the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in their first and thus far only visit to Brazil. Actual work began in January, 1969, and it opened on March 4, 1974.

Its official name is the "President Costa e Silva Bridge", in honor of the Brazilian president who ordered its construction. "Rio-Niteroi" started as a descriptive nickname that soon became better known than the official name. Today, hardly anyone refers to it by its official name.