St. Albanbrücke, Road bridge in Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
St. Albanbrücke was a 250 m welded plate-girder bridge over the Rhine in Basel, resting on two piers with spans of 57.5 m, 135 m and 57.5 m. Its orthotropic deck carried four 3 m lanes, two 2 m cycle strips and two 3 m footpaths on a 22 m width. Built from July 1953, it opened on 2 April 1955 and was demolished in 1973; the Museum Tinguely now stands at its north abutment.
The bridge opened in 1955 during Basel's post-war reconstruction and expansion period. It was built to address the city's growing transportation demands as the urban area developed.
The bridge was nicknamed Zitterbrücke ("shaking bridge") because of its light construction. Its inauguration on 18 and 19 June 1955 was marked by a public festival. The bridge has since been demolished; the site of its northern abutment is now occupied by the Museum Tinguely.
The bridge no longer exists: it was demolished in 1973 and replaced by the ten-lane Schwarzwaldbrücke, built in the gap between the Verbindungsbahnbrücke and the old St. Albanbrücke. The site of its northern abutment is now occupied by the Museum Tinguely, so the crossing can no longer be walked or driven.
The bridge's light construction earned it the nickname Zitterbrücke, or "trembling bridge". It was the first bridge in Switzerland with an orthotropic deck plate. Its north abutment site is now occupied by the Museum Tinguely.
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