The opening of the Frank Gehry bridge

This morning, in a ceremony presided over by the mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto and the Basque Government Minister for Employment and Social Policy, Angel Toña, the official inauguration and pedestrian opening of the Frank Gehry bridge took place.

The construction of the bridge was financed by the Zorrotzaurre Contracting Board.

The opening of the bridge will help the neighbours of Zorrotzaurre and the employees of the companies located there to avoid the walk that starts and ends on the roundabout where the Euskalduna bridge terminates.

The bridge, designed by the engineers, Guillermo Capellán and Héctor Beade, is the first in Bilbao to be illuminated only with LED technology and has also incorporated screens to protect from the wind.

The bridge is 75 metres long with an average width of 28 metres and was built over land before the excavation of the Deusto canal to make construction much easier by avoiding working over water.

The bridge will be opened to traffic once the canal has been excavated, which current estimates set at around six months.