Martín Peña Bridge

Martín Peña Bridge, in Spanish properly known as Puente Martín Peña, is an Art Deco style bridge from 1939, designed by Cecilio Delgado and others. It crosses the Martín Peña Channel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Martín Peña Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Coordinates	18.43342°N 66.05906°W / 18.43342; -66.05906
Built	1939
Architect	Delgado, Cecilio; et al.
Architectural style	Art Deco
MPS	Historic Bridges of Puerto Rico MPS
NRHP reference No.	08000856[1]
Added to NRHP	August 27, 2008

It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2008.^[1]

History

The original Martín Peña Bridge was simply a stone causeway probably built around the mid-1500s. Later, a wooden bridge was built on top of the causeway, which was in turn replaced by a brick edification in 1784. This bridge, designed by Juan Francisco Mestre, was destroyed by the British during Ralph Abercromby's invasion of Puerto Rico. After this, the bridge was rebuilt in 1846 with a design by engineer Santiago Cortijo. This new bridge measured 220 feet long and 6 meters wide, and was composed of nine elliptical arches.^[2]

According to a book by Luis Pumarada and Maria de los Angeles Castro, the name of Martín Peña comes from a fisherman who operated a cove near the area.^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Bridge in 1906
• 
  Bridge in 2012

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Pumarada O'Neill, Luis; Castro Arroyo, María de los Angeles (1997). La Carretera Central: un viaje escénico a la historia de Puerto Rico (PDF). p. 2.