Puente Transbordador Nicolás Avellaneda

La Boca
The Nicolás Avellaneda Ferry Bridge is an old structure that rises above the Riachuelo and joins the district of Avellaneda, in the province of Buenos Aires, with La Boca, in the city of Buenos Aires. It is one of the eight that remain standing around the world and was declared a National Historic Landmark.

These two bridges, the historical one and the current one, which dominate the mouth of the Riachuelo, make up the characteristic silhouette of this part of Buenos Aires. The old ferry bridge is a colossal iron structure inaugurated in 1914 and bears the name of the person who was President of the Nation between 1878 and 1880: Nicolás Avellaneda. The platform, which could be operated from a checkpoint, was created to transport cars, pedestrians and vehicles, and the tram also passed through there. It was used by thousands of workers who needed to cross the Riachuelo to reach the meat processing plants, shipyards and other establishments in a thriving industrial zone.

This imposing concrete work, approximately 77.50 meters long, has a central metallic section and drawbar made up of two towers almost 50 meters high. When it was inaugurated it was the most important in South America, but over the years it deteriorated and they decided to build a new one that was specially designed to withstand contemporary traffic.

The ferry stopped operating in 1960. Restoration work began in 2011 and in 2017, after 60 years of inactivity, the ferry returned to work. Although only in 2020 was it able to receive an audience.