Severinsbrücke, Cable-stayed bridge in Altstadt-Süd, Germany
The Severinsbrücke is a cable-stayed bridge spanning 691 meters across the Rhine River with a single asymmetric triangular pylon that rises 77 meters. The structure carries four vehicle lanes, a light rail track through the center, and pedestrian and bicycle paths on each side.
The bridge was inaugurated on November 7, 1959 by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer during Cologne's post-war rebuilding to meet growing traffic needs. It represented a modern engineering achievement in the period following World War II.
The bridge links the Severinsviertel district to Deutz while the pylon positioning allows clear sightlines to Cologne Cathedral. Daily users experience this crossing as a defining feature of their city's landscape.
You can cross on foot or by bicycle, or use the light rail that runs through the center section. The best vantage point is from the bridge itself, where you can observe the broad structure and the surrounding landscape below.
The structure received the Cologne Architecture Prize in 1967 for its innovative design by architect Gerd Lohmer and engineer Fritz Leonhardt. The asymmetric pylon design was a remarkable solution for crossing the Rhine at that time.
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