Rio de Janeiro Transporter Bridge
The Ponte Alexandrino de Alencar or Ponte Pênsil Alexandrino de Alencar was a suspension transporter bridge. It connected the Ilha das Cobras with the Hospital Central da Marinha and other naval establishments.
It was completed in 1915 and dismantled in 1935 following the construction of a low level road bridge.
It appears that the steelwork was constructed by Louis Eilers of Hanover.[1]
The bridge beam extends much further beyond the towers than was normally the case.
Little information and very few photographs have come to light about this bridge. Three of those photographs have been included in John Hannavy's recent book Transporter Bridges - an Illustrated History[2]. Two of these are postcard photographs with typical views, while the third is an aerial view of the naval establishment on the island (Ilha das Cobras). In this the bridge is incidental, but it does show why the bridge had a deck which extended well beyond the tower on the island side of the bridge: it is at the level of a plateau on the island where many of the establishment's buildings were located. Postcard photographs show that the extension at the mainland end of bridge is much shorter, and ends abruptly, where it is supported by steel framework. Zoomable version here. A small structure at the end is probably a lift. Photos showing the underside of the bridge suggest that there were two reasonably wide walkways, but no roadway.
Another photograph shows that the extended deck at the island end was quite a substantial structure, with a plate girder main beam [3]. See lower resolution version above.
In common with several other late transporter bridges, the gondola was supported from its carriage by a steel frame, as distinct from wire rope suspension. This allowed the carriage to be much shorter.