Instituto Técnico de Materiales y Construcciones S.A. (INTEMAC) has been awarded the contract to prepare the detailed restoration design for the Alfonso XIII Bridge, popularly known as the Iron Bridge, an iconic Seville landmark with almost a century of history.
The Port Authority of Seville has entrusted INTEMAC with providing this technical consultancy service under a contract valued at €162,140, with an execution period of eight months.
A Bridge with History and a Future
The Alfonso XIII Bridge, inaugurated in 1926 ahead of the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, was designed by engineer José Delgado Brackenbury under a patent from Scherzer Lift Bridge Co. (Chicago) and built by Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima de Barcelona. It was Seville’s first movable bridge and remains a unique structure in Spain, combining both road and rail traffic on the same deck.
Following its relocation in 2003 to a site on Avenida de la Raza, the bridge has remained unused for more than two decades. Its restoration will now enable its integration into the Port Urban District, becoming part of the Bridge Theatre, an open-air cultural venue within the future Port Park, which will connect Guadaíra Park with the dock basin.
An Emblematic Project for Seville
The restoration of the Iron Bridge responds to a long-standing demand from groups such as Planuente, which have advocated for the preservation and enhancement of this remarkable engineering landmark due to its uniqueness and heritage value. The Port Authority’s initiative coincides with the celebration of the centenary of the bridge’s inauguration in April 2026, a milestone that will mark the beginning of a new chapter for this historic structure.
The contract specifications were developed by the Port Authority of Seville in collaboration with the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH) and the University of Seville, ensuring a rigorous technical and heritage-focused approach.
The Port Authority of Seville has recognized the technical excellence of INTEMAC, which not only has extensive experience in studies and rehabilitation projects involving landmark structures, but also operates what is widely regarded as Spain’s leading construction laboratory.
