Stránovský viadukt, Railway arch bridge in Krnsko, Czech Republic.
The Stránovský viaduct is a railway arch bridge spanning 152 meters across the Strenická valley at a height of 27 meters. The structure uses reinforced concrete with three arches that each cover roughly 28 meters.
The first iron bridge here was built in 1865 for the Prague–Turnov line, using a lattice structure of the Schiffkorn system; it was repaired in 1884 with welded-iron girders from the Vojtěšská huť in Kladno. Judged too weak for growing traffic, it was replaced: a 1923 competition was won by Stanislav Bechyně's firm Hlava-Kratochvíl, and the reinforced concrete bridge was built in 120 days, with trains halted only 40 days, from 1 April to 15 September 1924.
The structure marks an important development in Czech engineering methods and earned recognition as a cultural monument. Its curved concrete arches shape how the Strenická valley landscape appears to travelers passing through the region.
The viaduct carries daily train traffic on the Prague-Turnov railway line and is easily visible from the valley below. The best viewing angle comes from the valley path, where the arch structure shows most clearly.
The reinforced concrete arches rest partly on the stone piers and abutments of the 1864 iron bridge, so the 1924 structure stands on older foundations. The bridge was built in 120 days, and train service was interrupted for only 40 days.
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