La Barca de la Florida celebrates 100 years of the Iron Bridge with an exhibition and a Post Office stamp

The Iron Bridge of La Barca de la Florida, popularly known as the Blue Bridge, is one hundred years old. The Council of the ELA has organised a commemorative event under the slogan «100 años uniendo nuestra historia» to remember the construction of this infrastructure, which crosses the Guadalete river on the A-2003 and has connected Jerez with San José del Valle since the end of 1926.

The structure is approximately 190 metres long and currently carries more than 4,000 vehicles a day, of which 4.93% are heavy goods vehicles. The crossing over the Guadalete was strategic before the creation of the La Barca settlement in 1948, and the name of the ELA comes from the old ferry boat that was used at that point of the river for people, livestock and goods. Throughout its history, the bridge has undergone several modifications and reconstructions, such as the one in 1930 after the damage caused by a great flood or the emergency repair in 2021 due to damage to an abutment.

The event included a visit to the photography exhibition «Gente en el puente», the presentation of a commemorative postage stamp in collaboration with the Club Filatélico Jerezano and a lecture on the origin, history and significance of the Iron Bridge by professor Agustín García Lázaro. The mayor of Jerez, María José García-Pelayo, has congratulated the residents of La Barca on the centenary and has highlighted the importance of valuing the heritage of the rural area of Jerez, with this bridge as «infraestructura útil, patrimonio vivo y memoria compartida». García-Pelayo has backed the Council of the ELA in this anniversary and has thanked it for its work. The event was also attended by the president of the ELA, Alejandro López, and the councillor for Culture, Paqui Orellana, who acted as hosts, along with members of the municipal Government, the delegate of the Government of the Junta de Andalucía in Cádiz, Mercedes Colombo Roquette; the provincial deputy for Culture, Vanesa Beltrán; the territorial delegate for Agriculture and Fisheries, Francisco José Moreno, and the territorial delegate for Development, Carmen Sánchez.