Minden Aqueduct, Navigable aqueduct in Minden, Germany.
Minden Aqueduct is a junction of waterways in Minden, Germany, where two parallel structures carry the Mittelland Canal over the Weser River. The older concrete bridge stands beside a newer steel one, both carrying inland vessels at a height of roughly 13 meters (43 feet) above the riverbed.
The first concrete structure opened in 1914 and connected two major canal systems across a navigable river for the first time. After destruction in 1945, it was rebuilt by 1949; the second steel bridge arrived in 1998 to handle growing freight volumes.
The bridges carry daily shipping traffic between the Rhineland regions and the Baltic Sea, a symbol of inland navigation rebuilt after World War Two. Visitors can watch from the banks as cargo ships and leisure boats pass each other on different levels.
Pedestrian and cycle paths run along both sides of the canal bridges and offer clear views of river traffic below. Locks on the connecting branch canals open at irregular intervals depending on vessel traffic and water conditions.
The structure is Europe's second-largest canal aqueduct and carries up to 80 vessels daily across the Weser on two separate levels. The older concrete construction now mainly carries leisure boats, while the newer steel bridge handles freight routes.
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