In 1998, the Puente Mayor was permanently closed to vehicular traffic. The following year, the City Council laid the first stone of this bridge, which was inaugurated on September 1, 2001, after 28 months of work. Its inauguration not only provided significant relief to the city’s traffic but also immediately became a symbol of contemporary Ourense, the city in motion looking towards the new millennium.

A work of markedly avant-garde aesthetics, its design bears the signature of architect Álvaro Varela, and its execution that of engineer Juan M. Calvo. It stands out for its unique elliptical shape, especially for the curious pedestrian walkway that rises 22 meters, creating extraordinary viewpoints over the Miño and giving it an exclusive character, enhanced by its spectacular nighttime illumination.