Lahntal Bridge, Railway and arch bridge in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany.
The Lahntal Bridge is a 438 m long, double-track railway bridge on the Cologne–Rhine/Main high-speed line, crossing the Lahn valley at Limburg an der Lahn. Its main feature is a 116 m span reinforced concrete arch, the only arch bridge on the line, with the deck reaching up to 50 m above ground. The superstructure is a continuous prestressed concrete box girder with eight spans and a constant depth of 4.75 m.
Built between 1998 and 2001 for about 25 million DM, the bridge was planned at 432 m in late 1995 and 430 m in late 1997 before the final 438 m was fixed in mid-1999. The arch was closed in April 2000, and the deck was finished in September 2000, completing the new line's route. The chosen 116 m arch avoided any construction in the riverbed.
The bridge links communities throughout the Hesse region and carries both passenger and freight trains across a traditional landscape. It has become part of daily life for people who depend on rail travel through this valley.
Visitors can observe the structure from many walking trails that wind through the surrounding valley. Several viewpoints along these paths offer views of the entire bridge from different angles.
The 116 m main arch was built by cantilever method in 12 to 13 segments, held by temporary stays anchored over auxiliary pylons on the springing piers. The original design had a pier in the Lahn riverbed; this was dropped to avoid work in the water.
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