Blue lights
Pillars lit at night.
Silvio Chiozini — CC BY 3.0 · MarcoXavier2005 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rony Onofre — CC BY 3.0 · altair mendes — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vilamir Azevedo — CC BY-SA 3.0
The «Third Bridge», officially the Deputado Darcy Castello de Mendonça Bridge, is the second-tallest bridge in Brazil, spanning the mouth of Vitória Bay to link the capital of Espírito Santo with Vila Velha. Building began in 1978 and ended eleven years later, on 23 August 1989; it is called the «third» because it followed two older bridges between the two cities. The bridge transformed Vila Velha, until then a sleepy seaside town, which entered a period of fast growth once it opened. Traffic grew from 12,000 vehicles a day at first to about 58,000. Since December 2003 blue lights have lit its central pillars at night, making it one of the state's signature images, together with the Penha Convent on its hill and the cargo ships entering the port. There is no footpath on the bridge, though a cycle lane was added in 2023. In truth it looks best from outside: from the Penha Convent in Vila Velha, or from Camburi beach and the Vitória waterfront, especially at sunset and once the evening lights come on.
Pillars lit at night.
The best view.
Passing beneath.
Deputado Darcy Castello de Mendonça Bridge, between Vitória and Vila Velha
No, it has no footpath, though a cycle lane was added in 2023.
