Iconic bridge to be destroyed

Rail company says Quisi Bridge will be dismantled

QUISI Bridge, near Calpe, will now be dismantled following a shock announcement from FGV, who are renewing Line 9 between Calpe and Dénia.

The 103-year-old bridge was found to be not strong enough to support the new rolling stock that has been ordered, and only two weeks ago, FGV said they would construct a new one alongside it, retaining the historic structure.

In a turn of events, however, it has been decided to replace it instead of building another alongside it, as was previously announced. “It has been found that the current structures would not withstand the weight of the new trains,” said Carlos Domingo, director general of public works.

Sr Domingo did state, however, that the new bridge will be identical to the existing one, but obviously built to withstand the weight of the new trains. The old bridge will be taken apart in small sections, and pieces offered to the public as a memento to ‘keep the memory of this milestone of engineering alive’.

Quisi Bridge, known as both El Pont de Quisi and the Santa Ana viaduct, was the only bridge completely constructed of metal at the time. It is located by the small station at Ferrandat, and consists of six sections, which were originally supported by five metal columns. These had since been covered with stonework. Reaching an elevation of 50 metres above sea level, it took two years to construct, and traverses a deep valley near Calpe.

It’s replacement will clearly come as a disappointment, after it had almost reached ‘heritage’ status. The railway line opened on October 28, 1914, and Quisi Bridge has been a delight to many using the tram, due to its height and farreaching views.

The tram line was closed in 2016, and is expected to be reopened next year.

On Wednesday evening, Benissa town hall issued a statement to say that they were against the plan, and had called an extraordinary council meeting to discuss options to protect the bridge by gaining a status of local historic interest for it, or to explore every option available that would see the bridge strengthened to support the new trains.