Beside the
Guggenheime Museum and spanning the Nervión
River
Description
The Salve Bridge was the first bridge to
be opened in Bilbao after the Civil War, when
all of the bridges in the city were
destroyed. It was designed by the engineer
Juan Batanero and regarded as innovative at the
time because it was the first cable-stayed
bridge in Spain and it also featured a steel
deck. The deck stands 23 metres above the
river to facilitate the movement of ships along
the river.
The most prominent feature of the bridge is the
red arch added in 2007, to a design by the
French artist Daniel Buren, to commemorate the
tenth anniversary of the nearby Guggenheim
Museum.
Pedestrian access to the
bridge is facilitated by a challenging
system of stairs. Since 2008,
pedestrians have also been able to go up to
the bridge free of charge in its two lifts,
which were installed in 1988.
At the University Avenue
end of the bridge is this remarkable mural made by Verónica and Christina
Weckmeister. entitled "Giltza bat or A key"
it evokes the idea of freedom of
expression and features a conversation
between two women.
