Since 2020, the access to the Cantabrian town of Golbardo takes places through a new bridge over the River Saja, designed by Arenas & Asociados. The structure arose from the need to liberate the historic José Eugenio Ribera arch bridge from traffic, dated from 1902, and which is recognized as one of the first works built in reinforced concrete in Spain.
The design responds to the objective of not competing with Ribera’s Bridge, but becoming a tribute to it, and at the same time establishing a common dialogue between the two structures, both modern for their time. The New Golbardo Bridge is made up of a singular section with a double metal Vierendeel girder and lateral spans with box girder section, which rest on piers that respect the Saja’s riverbed.
The main span reaches 60 m, with a distribution of spans 30 + 60 + 36 + 30 + 30 + 24 m, being the initial 126 m those belonging to the singular section. The length of the bridge, 210 m, was motivated by hydraulic conditions, since a study carried out by the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of Cantabria conditioned the construction of a new bridge over the River Saja to free its fluvial terrace, and to be located 100 m downstream of the Ribera’s one.
The slender deck and the careful design of the piers, with their decreasing depth as they approach the foundation, give the viaduct an elegant and sober appearance, in perfect harmony with the upper metal structure.
