Paton Bridge, Road bridge across Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine
The Paton Bridge stretches 1543 meters across the Dnieper River, linking Sobornyi Avenue on the left bank to Druzhby Narodiv Boulevard on the right bank. Made of steel and measuring 21 meters wide, it carries six traffic lanes and features three-meter pedestrian walkways on each side.
Construction began in 1939 but stopped during World War II, with the structure finally opening on November 5, 1953. The original crossing at this location was destroyed during the war, requiring an entirely new design.
The structure honors engineer Yevhen Paton, who developed the design but died three months before it opened in 1953. His groundbreaking work in welding technology made this construction possible and influenced modern bridge engineering worldwide.
The crossing handles up to 100,000 vehicles daily and offers wide sidewalks for pedestrians on both sides. Walking the full length takes about 20 minutes at a normal pace.
This structure was the first fully welded bridge in the world, built from 264 identical blocks joined through 10,668 meters of welded seams. The technique allowed faster assembly and a lighter structure than traditional riveted connections.
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