Viaduc de Gien, Railway bridge in Gien, France.
The Viaduc de Gien is a railway bridge spanning 1,832 meters across the Loire River. Its design mixes stone masonry on both banks with a metal truss section running through the center.
Built between 1888 and 1893, this structure ranked among the three longest bridges in the world at that time. It opened the railway connection between Gien and Poilly-lez-Gien.
The bridge represents the engineering capabilities of late 19th century France, incorporating both stone masonry techniques and metal truss innovations.
The viaduct is visible from both sides of the Loire and can be accessed on foot from various river viewpoints. It still carries freight trains today and makes for good viewing from the surrounding landscape.
The structure divides into three separate sections that showcase different construction methods. This arrangement makes it possible to clearly observe how stone masonry techniques meet modern steel engineering.
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