Wettsteinbrücke, Road bridge in Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
The Wettsteinbrücke is a road bridge over the Rhine in Basel, connecting the Grossbasel and Kleinbasel districts on opposite banks. It is built in concrete with an arched section over the river and has lanes for vehicles as well as walkways on both sides.
The bridge opened in 1879, replacing an older wooden crossing that had stood at this point on the Rhine. It was renewed in the 1930s and again in the 1990s to keep up with the demands of growing traffic.
At each end of the bridge stand basilisk figures, the heraldic animal of Basel that appears throughout the city. Crossing the bridge feels like passing through a marked boundary between the two sides of the river.
The bridge is open to pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, and tram and bus lines cross it regularly throughout the day. Foot traffic is lighter on weekends, which makes the crossing more comfortable for those on foot.
The bridge was designed by engineer Johann Caspar Wolff, who gave it an arched form that was uncommon for city bridges of the 19th century. That choice of shape is still clearly visible today when you look at the structure from the riverbank.
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