High anxiety: World's longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in
Portugal
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[May 29, 2021]
By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira
AROUCA, Portugal (Reuters) - Hugo Xavier
became one of the first people to cross the world's longest pedestrian
suspension bridge when it opened on Thursday near his tiny hometown of
Arouca in northern Portugal.
"Oh...here we go!," the 42-year-old said anxiously as he gathered enough
courage to step onto the see-through metal grid pathway of the
516-metre-long (1693-ft) bridge alongside his equally jittery partner
and a tour guide.
Hidden between rock-strewn mountains covered with lush greenery and
yellow flowers inside the UNESCO-recognised Arouca Geopark, the bridge
hangs 175 meters above the fast-flowing River Paiva.
The landscape is calm, but the crossing is not for the faint-hearted.
Held up by steel cables and two massive towers on each side, it wobbles
a little with every step.
"I was a little afraid, but it was so worth it," a relieved Xavier said
already on the other side. "It was extraordinary, a unique experience,
an adrenaline rush."
The bridge opened only to local residents on Thursday, but from Monday
everyone can book a visit.
Locals hope the attraction, which cost about 2.3 million euros ($2.8
million) and took around two years to build, will help revive the
region, especially after the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
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People walk on the world's longest pedestrian suspension
bridge '516 Arouca', now open for local residents in Arouca,
Portugal, April 29, 2021. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
"It is a breath of fresh air for our land because it
will attract more investment, more people," said tour guide Emanuel,
adding that the region was rapidly ageing as many young people moved
to big cities. "It will bring a new dynamic to Arouca."
Standing on the bridge, the mayor of Arouca, Margarida Belem, said
the bridge was part of a wider strategy to encourage more people to
move and stay in the region.
"There were many challenges that we had to overcome... but we did
it," the visibly proud mayor told Reuters. "There's no other bridge
like this one in the world."
($1 = 0.8254 euros)
(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira and Violeta Moura;
Editing by Andrei Khalip and Raissa Kasolowsky)
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