Bridge over Jordán, Tábor, Road bridge over the Jordán reservoir in Tábor, Czech Republic
The Bridge over Jordán, known as Harfový most, is a reinforced-concrete cable-stayed bridge carrying road I/19 east–west over the Jordán reservoir in Tábor, between Pražské předměstí and Čekanice. Two two-lane decks hang on 26 steel cables running from a 60-metre pylon, a cable arrangement resembling a pair of harps. The main span is 111 metres long and lies 10.5 metres above the water.
Built from 1984 to 1991, the bridge was opened on 4 July 1991 according to Táborský deník, though the Encyclopedia of Bridges gives completion in 1990. It was part of Tábor's northern bypass, built by Stavby mostů Praha for 45 to 80 million CZK. Within a month of opening, traffic through the city centre fell from 21,000–24,000 vehicles daily to about half.
The bridge's unofficial name comes from its 26 steel cables fanning out from a 60-metre pylon, a layout locals compare to a pair of harps. A scale model of the bridge is kept in the Hall of Traditions of the town of Tábor. Jan Svoboda made a 29-minute documentary about its construction.
The bridge carries the I/19 road on Tábor's northern bypass, linking the Plzeň direction with the D3 motorway about 2.5 km east. It crosses the Jordán reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Tábor, so strict hygiene rules apply on and around the structure. The pylon stands on a terrain spur in the reservoir, not in the water.
The pylon was originally to be founded on the reservoir bed but was moved to a terrain spur on the shore. The bridge ranks among the first in Czechia built with a harp system of stays; a model of it is kept in Tábor's Hall of Traditions.
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