Puntos de Interés
Culture
Original Bridge
With a length of 32 kilometres, the Maria Cristina Canal runs southwest-northwest through the city of Albacete. It rises at several separate points where we find several other canals that are its branches: the Acequión canal, the Ojos de San Jorge canal, the Salobral canal and the Estacadilla canal. All of them meet at La Reunión, the point where the Canal de Maria Cristina begins.
Along its entire length, there are numerous bridges, some of which were built using wood and others using ashlar. These bridges were built between 1805 and 1807, including the Acequión bridge, the Camino Real bridge, which gave access to the old road to Madrid, and the Estado de Jorquera bridge on the opposite side of the town.
Most of them follow the structure of the late 18th century bridges, made of ashlar. They are small in size, with a recurring feature being the bell-shaped or three-centred arch. These bridges, in spite of the period, were quite daring and can even be said to be graceful.
During these years, the so-called "minor bridges or culverts" were also built, which were smaller in size and used wood as the main construction element.
Of the bridges built, we can mention those that are still standing, such as the Bataneros Bridge, the Las Ánimas Bridge, which gives access to the Casa de la Balsa, the Malpelo Bridge and the Tinajeros Bridge. All of them are spaced in stretches of several kilometres apart, downstream from the covered section of the María Cristina Canal as it passes through the city of Albacete.
As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that the bridges that cross all these canals also be used for rest and recreation, since, in addition to the areas prepared for stopping along the way, on some of these bridges you can also find wooden planks and pieces of stoneware with representations of popular games.
Due to the increase in traffic and the growing weight of vehicles, some of the bridges built during the first phase have had to be replaced or have disappeared.