Dufourbrücke, road bridge
The Dufourbrücke was a temporary road bridge across the Rhine in Basel, built in 1857. It connected the two banks at a location about 100 meters above today's Wettsteinbrücke and relied on anchored river boats as supports to maintain stability.
The bridge was built in just eight days in 1857 during a political crisis to enable military troop movements across the Rhine. It was dismantled in March of that year once the tension had eased.
The structure no longer exists today and cannot be visited directly. The site where the bridge once stood is now marked by a public park and community space, which can be explored on foot or by bicycle from nearby parts of the city.
The bridge was designed by Gottlieb Ott, an engineer from Bern, and built in the record time of just eight days. This remarkably short construction period was made possible by using existing design principles and temporary anchoring methods to quickly create a functional crossing.
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