Ponte San Michele, Railway and road bridge in Paderno d'Adda, Italy
Ponte San Michele is a 266-meter-long iron arch bridge over the River Adda, linking Paderno d'Adda and Calusco d'Adda at a height of 85 meters above the water. The construction features two separate levels: an upper roadway and a railway track below.
Swiss engineer Jules Röthlisberger designed the bridge in 1887 for Società Nazionale Officine di Savigliano, which completed construction in 1889. The structure was built as part of the Seregno-Bergamo railway line and enabled the first direct crossing of the deep Adda valley.
The name refers to the Church of San Michele, which stood on the riverbank long before the railway era began. Travelers can use both levels: pedestrians share the upper roadway with vehicles, while trains pass beneath at regular intervals through the valley.
Visitors can cross the upper deck on foot or by vehicle, though the roadway is narrow and requires caution. From either riverbank, the ironwork and passing trains on the lower level are clearly visible.
The construction uses around 100,000 riveted joints holding all the iron parts together, with a total weight of 2,500 tons. Each rivet was hot-set by hand and tightened as it cooled, requiring months of precision work.
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