Autobahnbrücke Holledau, Arch bridge in Schweitenkirchen, Germany.

The Autobahnbrücke Holledau is a concrete arch bridge that crosses a valley along the Bundesautobahn 9 motorway between Geisenhausen and Schweitenkirchen. The structure consists of 16 spans built with prestressed concrete techniques and stretches across the landscape for about 400 meters.

Construction began in 1937 and finished in 1939 as part of the motorway expansion plan. After suffering damage during World War 2, the bridge underwent repairs in 1949 and is now protected as a heritage monument.

The bridge displays large arches with granite slabs in different colors that catch the eye as you pass by. This design shows how engineers of that era wanted to make highway structures look monumental and noticeable.

The best views of the bridge come from the roadside areas or nearby hills since you see it only briefly from the motorway. There are several spots around the area where you can photograph the entire structure and its arches properly.

The prestressed concrete deck was not part of the 1930s bridge: it was inserted between the granite side walls in 1978–79, when the motorway was widened to three lanes per direction. The original 330 m structure had 16 semicircular arches with pier spacing of 20.7 m; the new deck extended the length to 392 m.