Deutz Suspension Bridge, Road and tram bridge in Altstadt-Nord and Deutz, Cologne, Germany
The Deutzer Brücke spans 1,434 feet (437 meters) across the Rhine River in Cologne, connecting the districts of Altstadt-Nord and Deutz with a main span measuring 604 feet (184 meters) in length.
Originally completed in 1948 as the first steel-arch hollow construction bridge in the world, the Deutzer Brücke was expanded between 1976 and 1980 with a reinforced concrete twin structure added to its southern side.
The bridge's name recalls Cologne's Deutz district on the right bank, reached here since a Roman timber bridge stood nearby around 310. An eyebar chain link from the collapsed 1915 suspension bridge is kept as a memorial on the northern footpath of the left-bank approach.
The bridge currently measures 107 feet (32.6 meters) in width and accommodates two vehicle lanes, a dual-track tramway in the center, and sidewalks with bicycle paths on both sides for pedestrian and cyclist access.
The 1948 replacement was the world's first steel box girder bridge, designed by Fritz Leonhardt with architect Gerd Lohmer. Its closed box sits beneath the roadway, so the deck stays shallow and the view along the Rhine is unobstructed. The earlier suspension bridge's eyebar chain is kept as a monument on the northern footway of the left bank approach.
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