Adlerbrücke, Steel road bridge in Barmen district, Wuppertal, Germany

The Adlerbrücke is a wrought-iron lattice girder bridge from 1868 crossing the Wupper in Barmen. Its two outer main girders are built from riveted angle profiles and plates, with a span of 26.4 metres and a width of 8.44 metres between them. Under the asphalt deck lies a wooden plank layer, and the bridge connects Unterdörnen with Friedrich-Engels-Allee near the Historisches Zentrum.

Construction finished in 1868 and represents one of the earliest applications of lattice girder methods in the Rhineland region. The bridge marks an important moment in the development of metal bridge engineering techniques of that era.

The bridge takes its name from the four cast-iron eagles that stood on the four corner piers of greywacke; they vanished at the start of World War II, probably melted down for war production. On 12 October 2019 two eagles, each 140 kg and 85 × 100 cm, were placed on the south side facing Friedrich-Engels-Allee, cast in China after original moulds and set on 3.25 m neo-Gothic columns with crenellated crowns made in the Netherlands, funded by sponsors with over 40,000 euros and no public money.

The bridge reopened on 3 August 2017 for pedestrians and cyclists only, after a renovation begun in December 2015. During the 2010 closure, crossings were routed over the adjacent Schwebebahn station. The asphalt deck hides a wooden plank layer, so watch for uneven ground where boards sagged about ten centimetres.

The bridge's four original corner piers of greywacke each carried a cast-iron eagle; these disappeared at the start of World War II, probably melted down for war production. On 12 October 2019 two new eagles, cast in China after original moulds, 140 kg and 85 × 100 cm, were placed on the south side facing Friedrich-Engels-Allee, on 3.25 m neo-Gothic columns with crenellated crowns made in the Netherlands, funded by sponsors with over 40,000 euros and no public money.