Friendship Bridge (Brazil–Paraguay)

The Friendship Bridge (Puente de la Amistad, Ponte da Amizade) is an arch bridge connecting the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu and the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este.

History and importance
The bridge was opened to traffic on 27 March 1965. The space between the main arch is 290 m. The bridge itself is 552.4 m long.

The bridge is very important to the economies of both Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este.

BR-277 begins immediately after the end of the bridge in the Brazilian side, and National Route N° 7 in the Paraguayan side.

Smuggling
The Friendship Bridge is a major point for smuggling in the region, with Brazilians coming to purchase goods from Paraguay as Paraguay does not impose tariffs on foreign goods. Brazil has been imposing stricter border security to try and crack down on it.