50 years ago, on Monday, 4 March 1974, the Presidente Costa e Silva Bridge, better known as the Ponte Rio–Niterói, opened to traffic for the first time.

Construction on the bridge began symbolically on 9 November 1968, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, with the actual construction work beginning in late December 1968. It was Britain that helped to build the bridge with sections shipped out from the UK to Rio.

From its completion in 1974 until 1985 it was the world’s second-longest bridge, and today is the 48th longest in the world and second longest in Latin America. It is 13.29 kilometres (8.26 miles) long – 8.836 kilometres (5.490 miles) of which is over water. At the time it was completed, the central span was the longest box girder in the world.

Prior to the bridge’s completion people either had to take a ferry or drive 120 km around Guanabara Bay to go from Rio to Niteroi (and Buzios).