Solis Viaduct, Railway bridge in Albula/Alvra, Grisons, Switzerland
The Solis Viaduct is a single-track, eleven-arched limestone railway viaduct spanning the Albula east of the hamlet of Solis. It is 164 metres long and 89 metres high, with a main span of 42 metres flanked by ten arches of 8 to 10 metres. It carries the Rhaetian Railway's Albula line between Thusis and Tiefencastel, at the 49.33-kilometre mark from Thusis.
Engineer Hans Studer designed this bridge in 1902 as the first stone arch structure in Switzerland built using elasticity theory principles. Its innovative design became a landmark achievement in bridge construction of that era.
The viaduct is listed as a Class B Swiss cultural property of regional significance. It is one of the most important structures on the Albula Railway, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The line is still owned and operated by the Rhaetian Railway, so scheduled trains cross the bridge daily.
You can view the viaduct best from the road or from hiking trails running through the valley at different levels. The best perspective is from below, where you can appreciate the arches and height of the structure.
The 1997 renovation renewed the waterproofing between the gravel bed and the masonry with a liquid-applied plastic membrane and shotcrete, and also replaced the track and ballast trough. The work was carried out at great expense to keep water out of the limestone arches.
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