The Florianopolis Bridge Hercilio Luz has the proud distinction of being the first bridge constructed for the purpose of linking Florianopolis (an island state of Santa Catarina) with mainland Brazil.

The Florianopolis Bridge Hercilio Luz was named to honor a former governor of Santa Catarina of the same name.

With a central span stretching 340 meters, the Florianopolis Bridge Hercilio Luz was at the time of its opening and still is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. In addition to being the longest suspension bridge in all of Brazil, many people claim it to be one of the oldest hanging bridge in the rest of the world, too.

The bridge is the brainchild of architects at the Robinson & Steinman firm, who persisted through tireless nights and setbacks to draft up the plans and schematics for how the bridge would be constructed and how it would look upon completion.

By 1926, it had gone from the drawing board to real life. The Florianopolis Bridge Hercilio Luz was actually built by the American Bridge Company, who used the blueprints from Robinson & Steinman as their guide.

The project was not without its headaches, however, as the costs of planning and construction exceeded ten times its original budget. In addition to that, the bridge was built with a relatively odd architectural feature: the truss responsible for carrying the roadway was above the roadway, meeting with the cables to create a truss that was non-uniform in its height.

The only other known bridge to employ such a feature is the Walt Taylor Bridge in Brisbane, Australia. While unconventional in nature, this device was part of what made the bridge so consistently safe and reliable during its time in service.

Nevertheless, the bridge has been worth the wait and extra cost by outlasting so many other bridges that were built both before and after.

After many decades of wear and tear, the bridge was closed to travelers in 1991. As a result, the bridge has been transformed from a means of facilitating interstate travel to something of an historical attraction. Tourists, Brazilians, and residents of Florianopolis alike have been known to visit the bridge to observe what was, for so long, the sole link between Floripa and the mainland of Brazil.

If you happen to be involved in the profession of architecture or are just interested in the history the bridge represents, it would be worth your while to stop by the Florianopolis Bridge Hercilio Luz during your trip!

From Florianopolis Bridge Hercilio back to Florianopolis Brazil Guide

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