Ostbahnbrücke, Railway truss bridge in Simmering, Austria
The Ostbahnbrücke is a railway bridge crossing the Donaukanal that links two Vienna districts with a steel truss structure. It carries two parallel railway tracks and was built using traditional construction methods of its era.
The bridge was built in 1870 by German company C. Harkort following designs by engineers Anton Battig and August Friedrich Nathanael Köstlin. It marked a key milestone in Austria's 19th-century railway infrastructure development.
The bridge takes its name from the eastern railway line it serves, becoming a symbol of Vienna's rail expansion. It shows how infrastructure once linked neighborhoods and shaped daily travel patterns for residents.
The bridge is visible from the outside and can be crossed by train passengers or viewed from nearby paths. Visitors can best photograph the structure from the Donaukanal or the adjacent riverbanks.
The bridge includes a separate narrow footpath designed for pedestrians and maintenance workers that remains registered with Vienna's bridge authority. This hidden walkway shows how thoughtfully the original design accommodated different users.
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