Description of events
Date : –
Address : Alzola Bridge over the Cadagua River connects the neighborhoods of Zorroza with Burtzeña.
Pablo Beldarrain, who commanded the 5th Division of the Basque Army with barracks at the Gomas Garay factory, speaks only of a blown up bridge, like Koldobika López, and explains that it was intended to make only one of the seats on the road bridge jump , to avoid damaging its metal work, the section of the Zorroza shore being tilted.
Other sources speak that there were two bridges in that place and that both were blown up: one for the railway that bore the name of Alzola and another over which the Bilbao-Santander general highway passed, both were metallic and of enormous patrimonial value.
The photographs attest that there were indeed two bridges blown up.
With the blowing up of this bridge, Bilbao was cut off from the outer port and from large industry, which included factories such as Altos Hornos, Constructora Naval, Babcok-Wilcox, among others.
One of the bridges, the railway bridge, currently exists and is located at the mouth of the Kadagua River, linking Bilbao with the Burceña neighborhood, although it is out of service.
SOURCES :
Beldarrain, Pablo. Critical history of the war in Euskadi. Pablo Beldarrain: Commander of Gudaris, head of the V Basque Division. Page 409.
Koldobika (2016). The Civil War in Barakaldo. Eleven months of resistance.
Bilbao: Beta Editions.
Place reference
One of the bridges, the railway bridge, currently exists and is located at the mouth of the Kadagua River, linking Bilbao with the Burceña neighborhood, although it is out of service.
Alzola Bridge over the Cadagua River connects the neighborhoods of Zorroza with Burtzeña.
Old photography
Recent photograph
