Vierendeel bridge of Laeken, railway bridge in Brussels, Belgium
The Vierendeel bridge of Laeken is a steel structure that carries a railway line over the Willebroeck canal in Brussels, measuring nearly 54 meters long. Its characteristic design features large rectangular openings instead of diagonal braces, giving it a solid, orderly appearance.
The original bridge dated from the early 1900s and could rotate to let ships pass, but was destroyed in 1940 during bombing raids. The current bridge was rebuilt in 1942 as a fixed structure and has carried trains over the canal ever since.
The bridge is named after Belgian engineer Arthur Vierendeel, whose construction system is used here. It stands as a quiet symbol of Laeken's industrial past and shows how the city built its transport links during challenging times.
The bridge is not open to pedestrians or vehicles, as it is reserved exclusively for train traffic. You can view it from nearby roads or from the banks of the Willebroeck canal to observe its structure up close.
The bridge rests on fixed supports on one side and rolling supports on the other, allowing it to expand and contract with temperature changes. This simple engineering detail has allowed the structure to function for over 80 years without major modifications.
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