One of the largest suspension bridges in the world, the Hercílio Luz bridge, the first connection between Santa Catarina Island and the mainland, began construction on November 14, 1922 and was inaugurated on May 13, 1926. Its construction definitively established Florianópolis as the capital of the State of Santa Catarina.
Its total length is 819,471 m, with 259 m of insular viaduct, 339,471 m of central span and 221 m of continental viaduct. The steel structure weighs approximately 5.000 tons, and the foundations and pillars consumed 14.250 m³ of concrete. The two towers measure 75 m from sea level, and the central span is 43 m high.
The project was designed by North American engineers Robinson and Steinmann and all the material used in it was brought from the United States, having been built by a team composed of nineteen North American technicians and workers from Santa Catarina.
Much of the design and construction of the work took place during the government of Hercílio Luz, who had the intention of consolidating Florianópolis as the capital of Santa Catarina. At that time, the other cities considered the island too distant to be the administrative and political center of the state and, as a result, there was a movement preaching the move from the capital to Lages.
However, the creator did not see his dream come to an end, as he died in 1924, twelve days after inaugurating a wooden suspension bridge, built in Praça XV especially for a symbolic act.
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After obtaining a loan equivalent to two annual budgets from the State of Santa Catarina, the government finally started the construction of the bridge, in 1922. the inauguration.
From the beginning, the funding process was complicated. The first bank that had lent the 20 thousand contos de réis to the Santa Catarina government went bankrupt. Thus, a new loan had to be obtained, delaying the works.
In addition, a maneuver by US bankers made the State of Santa Catarina responsible for debts for the instruction of the bankrupt institution. In the end, the cost reached 14 million, 478 thousand, 107 contos and 479 réis, practically double the state budget at the time.
Its inauguration, on a rainy afternoon in May 1926, ended an old suffering of the 40 thousand inhabitants of Florianópolis: depending on ferries to cross from the Island to the Continent or vice versa. Monopolized, the service was so bad that it didn't even offer coverage to protect passengers from the sun or rain. For this reason, the name of the work would be Ponte da Independência, but it was changed after the death of the creator of the work.
Since it was closed as a security measure in 1982, the Hercílio Luz bridge has only served as a postcard, a point of reference and for the beautification of the city.
The nightmare of the collapse has become a constant in people's lives. This fear, however, was eliminated precisely on the day the bridge turned 71 years old. The classic work of international engineering was listed as a historical and artistic heritage.
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So finally, in December 2019, the bridge renovation works, which had lasted almost two decades, passing through several governments, were completed by Governor Carlos Moisés. After 28 years, the symbol of the capital of Santa Catarina is used again by the population, in a critical moment through which the urban mobility of the city passes.
The viewpoint located at the head of the island provides one of the most beautiful panoramic views of downtown Florianópolis. The Ponte Museum and Parque da Luz are also located in the area.
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