Mala Rijeka Viaduct, Railway bridge in Podgorica, Montenegro
Mala Rijeka Viaduct is a railway bridge made of concrete and steel that spans 498.8 meters across a deep valley while carrying a single rail track 198 meters above the river. The structure uses a girder and truss design with massive support pillars that distribute the weight of trains across the impassable gorge.
The viaduct was completed in 1973 and held the record as the world's highest railway bridge until China's Beipanjiang Railway Bridge surpassed it in 2001. Its completion was a major milestone for the railway connection linking Belgrade to the Adriatic coast.
The bridge takes its name from the waterway that flows beneath it, connecting the structure to the natural landscape it spans. This naming reflects how the local geography shaped the region's identity.
The structure is best viewed from nearby roads or observation points, as it is part of an active railway line and cannot be accessed on foot. Daytime visits offer the clearest views of the bridge against the surrounding mountains.
The largest support pillar has a foundation that exceeds the size of a tennis court, demonstrating the immense engineering demands of the project. This massive base was necessary to keep the structure stable in a seismically active region.
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