Adlerbrücke, Steel road bridge in Barmen district, Wuppertal, Germany
The Adlerbrücke is a steel lattice girder bridge crossing the Wupper with two parallel trusses reaching approximately 2.6 meters in height. Pedestrian paths run along both sides, and the structure spans just over 27 meters across the river.
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 four cast iron eagles that give the bridge its name once decorated the corner pillars before disappearing during World War II. Two new eagles were later reinstalled and now define the structure's distinctive appearance.
The structure underwent comprehensive renovation between 2015 and 2017 and reopened to pedestrians and cyclists afterward. Be aware that wooden planking and rolled steel profiles make the surface potentially slippery in wet conditions.
This is the last surviving lattice girder bridge of its type in the Rhineland region and a rare example of bridge engineering from that period. The combination of wooden planking with rolled steel profiles shows an unusual construction method rarely seen today.
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