Ruhrbrücke Kosterstraße, road bridge in Bochum and Hattingen, Germany
The Ruhrbrücke Kosterstraße is a road bridge that crosses the Ruhr River, linking Welper with Stiepel. It is a four-lane concrete structure with a main span of about 78.5 meters (257 feet) across the river.
The site has a long history of river crossings dating back to the 1800s. The current bridge was built in 1978-1979 and replaced several older wooden and concrete structures that had stood at this location.
The name Kosterbrücke and the local term 'die Kost' for the southern Ruhr meadows under the bridge come from the Kosthaus locality, recorded in the Prussian Uraufnahme and Neuaufnahme maps. It stood at the former bridge or ferry. Today Welper's street 'An der Kost' passes under the bridge.
The bridge is part of the local road network and can be crossed on foot, by bicycle, or by car. From above, users have an open view of the Ruhr River and the surrounding landscape.
The bridge is considerably larger than the current traffic would require, as it was originally designed to support the nearby Henrichshütte steel plant. This facility had already closed production before the new bridge was completed.
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