Bysterský věšadlový most, Covered wooden bridge in Benešov u Semil, Czech Republic
The Bysterský věšadlový most is a covered wooden bridge 24 metres long, 3 metres wide and 5 metres high, carried by trapezoidal and triangular hangers. It crosses the Jizera between Benešov u Semil and Bystrá nad Jizerou. Its spruce frame was replaced with larch during reconstruction, while the oak floor was kept.
A ford served as the original river crossing here. In 1854 the owner of a nearby mill built a footbridge; in 1922 miller Janoušek of Vítkovice had a new wooden bridge erected, insisting its massive main beams be brought from Vítkovice v Krkonoších for their quality. After reconstruction, the bridge reopened to vehicles on 6 September 2017 with a two-tonne limit.
The bridge is a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Since 2018 it has belonged to the Liberec Region and is managed by the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise (Muzeum Českého ráje). The donation contract requires that the bridge remain passable for vehicles.
The bridge is the main road link for Bystrá nad Jizerou, whose scattered core lies about 1.5 km away; the nearest bus stop, Bystrá nad Jizerou, is on the Benešov side. The deck is 3 m wide and has a load limit of 2 tonnes. Access from Loukov is about 1.2 km longer.
The 1922 bridge was built for miller Janoušek of Vítkovice, who insisted that the massive main beams be brought all the way from Vítkovice in the Krkonoše mountains because of their quality. The village of Bystrá, with an annual budget of about 2 million CZK, saved 1 million for the repair but in the end did not have to spend it.
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