Libertador General San Martín Bridge

The Libertador General San Martín Bridge (Spanish: Puente Libertador General San Martín) is a cantilever road bridge that crosses the Uruguay River and joins Argentina and Uruguay. It runs between Puerto Unzué, near Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina, and Fray Bentos, Río Negro Department, Uruguay, 100 km upstream from the start of the Río de la Plata, and 320 km the Atlantic Ocean.

The bridge has a total length of 5,366 meters, 4,220 meters in Argentina and 1,146 meters in Uruguay. It was a world record for this type of bridges when it was designed (1970) surpassing the Bendorf bridge, over the Rhine river, with a central span of 220m versus of 209m.

The bridge is named after José de San Martín, a major figure in the struggle for independence in Argentina, Chile and Peru. It was officially inaugurated on September 16, 1976. It was opened for public use and the next day it started functioning as a toll bridge. There are other bridges upstream, but no further bridges downstream. As with other border crossings on the IBRG SATEX-25 expedition there were no restrictions to us exploring the border facilities. Pedestrians are however not allowed on the bridge. As we had a hire car we were unable to cross the bridge and could only explore the Uruguayan side.

Click on the map above to access Google Maps location.

The Libertador General San Martín Bridge is a critical international road link crossing the Uruguay River, connecting Puerto Unzué (Argentina) and Fray Bentos (Uruguay). It serves as a vital infrastructure component for regional trade, tourism, and integration between the two countries