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The construction of the Rio Negro Bridge transformed the landscape of Amazonas, connecting Manaus to the interior and boosting the socioeconomic development of the region.
If you think that building a bridge of almost 4 km over the enigmatic waters of the Rio Negro was easy, you are wrong! The construction of the Rio Negro Bridge was an epic worthy of great engineering feats, defying nature and overcoming obstacles that seemed insurmountable.
Located in Manaus, the bridge connects the Compensa neighborhood, in the West Zone, to the AM-070 highway, also known as Manoel Urbano Highway, in Iranuba. With a length of 3.595 meters, it is classified as a cable-stayed bridge with a central section of 400 meters that rises majestically over the river.
Proposal for construction
It all started in 2003, when the proposal for the construction of the bridge was presented to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Amazonas. The idea was bold: to connect Manaus to the interior of the state, reducing dependence on ferries to neighboring cities such as Iranduba and Novo Airão. The popular mobilization was intense, culminating in the collection of 120 thousand signatures at the São Raimundo post in just six months.
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The project gained international prominence
The project gained international attention after numerous hearings and discussions; the work order was released in December 2007, and construction began in 2008. The project gained international attention not only for the bold architecture of the Rio Negro Bridge, but also for the environmental, social and economic solutions it proposed.
There was no shortage of challenges. The Rio Negro Consortium team, formed by the construction companies Camargo Corrêa, Engeform and Construbase, had to uncover the river's secrets, carrying out bathymetry at different depths, soil tests and resistance tests to accommodate the 246 bored piles needed for the foundation.
Logistics was another critical point
To ensure the continuous flow of materials, two concrete production plants were created, each with the capacity to produce 80 cubic meters per hour. The metal sleeves, large tubes used to build the piles, were manufactured on the construction site itself. Transporting pieces measuring over 50 meters in height and weighing 60 tons was no easy task!
The Rio Negro Bridge impresses with its numbers: 203 precast beams, 160.395 cubic meters of concrete—enough quantity to build three Maracanã stadiums—and 25 floating construction sites where work was carried out simultaneously. The structure, which resembles a diamond, was designed to reduce the effects of wind thanks to an innovative aerodynamic shape.
Rio Negro reached record flood levels in 2023
During the construction, nature showed its strength. In 2009, the Rio Negro reached record flood levels, something unforeseen that made it difficult to place the foundation blocks. The solution? Build the “shell block”, allowing work to continue without compromising the schedule.
After 3 years and 5 months of intense work, the Rio Negro Bridge was inaugurated on October 24, 2011, coinciding with the 342nd anniversary of Manaus. The ceremony was attended by the state governor and President Dilma Rousseff.
Initial investment
The initial planned investment was R$506 million, but due to additions for new work fronts—such as pylon protection, nautical signaling and lighting—the total cost reached approximately R$1,099 billion.
In 2017, the bridge was named Ponte Jornalista Phelippe Daou, in honor of the communicator who contributed so much to defending the interests of the Amazon.
The construction of the Rio Negro Bridge was not just an achievement for the Amazonas
Today, the Rio Negro Bridge has four lanes of traffic—two in each direction—plus a pedestrian lane. The speed limit is 60 km/h. Its construction enabled the expansion of industry, tourism, commerce, and agribusiness, and was a milestone for the local community by creating new jobs and making crossing easier.
Frecognition is recorded to the more than 2.500 workers and to everyone who made this dream come true. The construction of the Rio Negro Bridge was not only an achievement for Amazonas, but for the entire country, showing that Brazil is capable of carrying out works of great magnitude with mastery and architectural beauty.
And you, what do you think about the impact of the Rio Negro Bridge on regional development and what other projects could follow this example to benefit the Amazon?
I was in this construction: engineer at the stations
Hello!
This is my point of view, okay?
At first I called this bridge 'The bridge to Neverland', because it was built in the wrong place, which does not connect Manaus to the progress we need to have, which is through BR-319. So why connect Manaus to the interior of the state? This was already done by ferries.
Another criticism is about the cost. It cost 3x more than expected. It would have been possible to build it as a connection between Manaus and Careiro da Várzea and move forward.
Another fact that is not talked about concerns fatal accidents, as there are reports from former employees about workers who were concreted on the bridge, and other fatal accidents, and that the then governor ordered the cases to be covered up with public money.
Finally, here is the bridge built to serve the interests of politicians and businessmen who fight to keep Amazonas in this backward state in which we find ourselves.
But it is up to the police to “investigate” this.
My friend worked on the bridge and I never saw anyone concreted. It is impossible for this concrete to concrete someone because the bridge pillars are 3 meters x 7 meters, with a 25 cm wall, the pillar and no structure in the middle, and how would a person be concreted?
True my friend, that's right, but you know that what they really wanted to do was divert public money.
1 billion…
Halfway through the work and halfway through the diversion, will it be??? It doesn't happen!!!🤷
There is a report on YouTube that shows how Eduardo Braga and Omar Aziz benefited from bribes paid by construction companies with millions in sums for each of them... Imagine 10% of the value of the work for each of them, what these worms could not achieve. Not only in the construction of the bridge but also of the Arena da Amazônia.
I worked on the bridge for Camargo Corrêa and now I live in Manaus. I saw winds blow away tents that were stuck on the ground, and chemical toilets fly like paper.
That's cool. Really good to see that.
It's not envy, no. In truth, this is a necessary work. Just as it is also necessary to pave huge stretches of the Transamazonica in Pará. Wooden bridges where one car can pass at a time. Or one truck at a time. And it is the only access to connect countless cities, abandoned by the transportation departments of ALL governments.