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Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal

Construction began in February 1995; the bridge was opened to traffic on 29 March 1998, just in time for Expo 98, the World's Fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery by Vasco da Gama of the sea route from Europe to India. Along with the 25 de Abril Bridge, the Vasco da Gama is one of two bridges that span the Tagus River in Lisbon.

The $1.1 billion project was split into four parts, each built by a different company, and supervised by an independent consortium. There were up to 3,300 workers simultaneously on the project, which took 18 months of preparation and 18 months of construction. The financing is via a build operate transfer system by Lusoponte, a private consortium that receives the first 40 years of tolls for both Lisbon bridges. Lusoponte's capital is 50.4% from Portuguese companies, 24.8% from French, and 24.8% from British. The bridge has a life expectancy of 120 years, having been designed to withstand wind speeds of and hold up to an earthquake 4.5 times greater than the standards of building resistance in Lisbon. The deepest foundation piles, up to in diameter, were driven down to under mean sea level. Environmental pressure throughout the project resulted in the left bank viaducts being extended inland to preserve the marshes underneath, as well as the lamp posts throughout the bridge being tilted inwards so as not to cast light on the river below.

Northbound traffic (to Lisbon) is charged a toll while travelling southbound is free. Tolls are collected through a toll plaza located on the south bank of Tagus, near Montijo. As of 2024, bridge tolls range from €3.20 (passenger cars) to €13.55 (trucks).