Victoria Falls Bridge, Steel arch bridge over the Zambezi between Zambia and Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls Bridge rises 128 meters above the Zambezi River gorge, linking Livingstone in Zambia with the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe through its steel arch design. The combined road and rail crossing follows the river just below the falls, where the gorge reaches its narrowest point.
Construction began in 1904 following the design of engineer G.S. Hobson and was completed within 14 months to connect northern and southern regions of the continent. George Darwin presided over the opening ceremony in 1905, fulfilling the vision of a continuous rail network through Africa.
The bridge was first called the Great Zambesi or Zambezi Bridge, taking its present name later. On the Zambian side a small free museum covers its construction and has a café. Guided tours explain the building of the span and include a walk beneath the main deck.
Travelers must pass through border controls at both ends, as the crossing connects two sovereign countries. The walkway across the structure offers direct views into the gorge but can become slippery during periods of heavy spray from the falls.
The bridge was prefabricated in Darlington, England by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company, then shipped to Beira in Mozambique and carried by the newly built railway to the falls. It took 14 months to erect. Before it opened, a locomotive was hauled across the gorge in pieces on the temporary cableway nicknamed the 'Blondin', reassembled and run months ahead of the bridge's completion.
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