Štěpánský most, Steel road bridge in Obříství, Czech Republic.
Štěpánský Bridge spans the Elbe River for approximately 96 meters and features pylons topped with pseudo-gothic turrets and battlements. The roadway carries traffic while pedestrian pathways run along the outer edges of the structure.
The steel structure was built in 1912 by the Prague Bridge Works, a branch of the First Czech-Moravian Machine Factory, near the former ferry at Na Štěpáně. For the central pier, engineer Vojtěch Kapsa introduced Bohemia's first reinforced concrete caisson, 14.28 by 4.80 metres and sunk 8.85 metres below the normal Elbe level. The bridge was renovated in 1957–1958 and again in 2003.
The bridge is named after the former ferry crossing Na Štěpáně, near which it was built. It is listed as a cultural monument under the name Silniční most Štěpánský, and its steel structure was grit-blasted and metallised with zinc to protect it.
The bridge carries road traffic on route I/9 between Prague and Mělník and includes walkways on both sides. Visitors exploring the structure should use the pedestrian paths rather than the vehicle roadway for safety.
The structure uses a special continuous cantilever triple-belt girder system that was employed only twice throughout the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire. This rare construction technique makes it a notable example of engineering from that era.
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