RioNiterói

RioNiterói, officially the Ponte Rio-Niterói, is a major bridge in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, Brazil. It spans Guanabara Bay, connecting the city of Rio de Janeiro with the municipality of Niterói and forming part of the federal highway BR-101. The bridge serves as a principal crossing for vehicular traffic between the southern and northern shores of the bay, carrying thousands of vehicles daily and providing a faster alternative to ferries and shorter coastal routes.

Planning for a fixed crossing began in the 1960s to improve regional connectivity and reduce travel time across the bay. Construction started in the late 1960s, and the bridge opened on March 4, 1974. It was originally named Ponte Presidente Costa e Silva, a designation later changed to Rio-Niterói. The structure is a reinforced concrete cantilever bridge, notable for its length and its role as one of Brazil’s landmark mid-20th-century engineering projects. Its total length is about 13.3 kilometers, including approaches, making it one of the longest bridges in the country at the time of its completion.

Today the Rio-Niterói carries traffic from local and regional users and is maintained through a toll system that funds maintenance and operations. The bridge has undergone periodic maintenance and capacity-improvement projects to address heavy traffic and wear. It remains a key transport artery and an iconic feature of the Rio de Janeiro region, frequently referenced in local media and tourism material.