A render of the winning design as viwed from the neighbouring historic bridge (Knight Architects)

The Câmara Municipal de Viana do Castelo has chosen an S-curved cable-stayed design by Knight Architects and Armando Rito Engenharia for a new crossing over the River Lima. The bridge will connect the city centre, about 75km north of Porto, with the coastal Ecovia Litoral Norte cycling and walking route near Praia da Barra.

The competition brief called for a crossing that would improve active mobility while delivering high-quality urban design and respecting the neighbouring historic bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel and opened in 1878.

The winning proposal curves away from the historic twin-deck structure, preserving key sightlines while establishing a distinct identity inspired by local nautical heritage. Alternating inclined pylons along the deck enhance the bridge’s slender appearance. The 700m-long crossing will feature a 4m-wide unsegregated deck and gentle 5% ramps, offering a significant improvement on the existing bridge’s narrow 1m-wide pavements and steep access.

The competition jury praised the design, noting that its combination of a variable-depth U-beam and asymmetric cable-stayed elements achieves “formal and functional coherence” and is “capable of boosting enjoyment of this area beyond simply connecting the river’s two banks.”