The most striking of the modern bridges that were built over the old course of the Guadalquivir river in Seville in preparation for the '92 Exposition is the Puente del Alamillo,built between 1987 and 1992 after a design by Santiago Calatrava.In 1986, soon after king Juan Carlos I announced Seville would host the World Universal Exposition of 1992 to commemorate the Discovery of America, plans were drafted to improve Seville's infrastructure. Several bridges across the Meandro de San Jeronimo were planned to connect the city with Cartuja Island, the proposed site for the exposition.The Alamillo Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge with a 200 meter (656 ft) long span painted in Calatrava's trade-mark bright white color. The most distinguishing aspect of the design is the 142 meter (466 ft) tall pylon, which is gracefully slanted at an angle of 68 degrees. The pylon is filled with concrete and acts as a counterbalance for the 35,5 meter (117ft) wide bridge deck, which is anchored by just 13 pairs of cables. Thanks to this design there is no support needed at the back of the pylon, which results in a more elegant bridge.