Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela; the first bridge over the Orinoco River

One of the longest rivers in South America, the 1,591-mile-long Orinoco was not spanned by a bridge until the Angostura was opened to traffic, between Ciudad Bolívar and Soledad, Venezuela, on January 6, 1967. With a total suspension length of 4,173 feet, it was also the longest suspension bridge in Latin America and the ninth longest in the world at that time.

Total Length 5,507 feet

Main Span Length 2,336 feet

Approach Span Lengths 918.5 feet each

Pylon Height 391 feet

Water Clearance Height 134.5 to 187 feet

The four-lane Angostura remained the only bridge across the Orinoco until November 13, 2006, when another suspension bridge was opened near Ciudad Guayana.

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This page was last updated on January 06, 2019.