The Ponte Costanzo, also called the Irminio Viaduct, is a road bridge on state road 115 Sud Occidentale Sicula, which on this stretch forms part of the European route E45. It crosses the valley of the river Irminio between the cities of Ragusa and Modica.
What to see
It consists of a series of concrete piers and transverse steel spans. The total length is 956 metres and the longest span reaches about 180 metres. At 168 metres high it is still today one of the highest bridges in Europe.
Work began in 1975 and was completed in the summer of 1984. The design is by the engineer Riccardo Morandi and the bridge was built by the firm Fratelli Costanzo S.p.A.; it cost more than twenty billion lire. At its inauguration it was the highest bridge in Italy.
Visiting
The bridge is part of state road 115: it is driven over, between Ragusa and Modica. The sources consulted mention no dedicated access or viewpoints: check on the spot and with the body that runs the road.
Our editors' tip
The technical data on the structure are gathered in the entry of the international database Structurae, which the article cites as a reference.
