Nydegg Bridge
The Nydeggbrücke [ˈnidɛk] connects the area of the Nydeggkirche in the old town of Bern with the opposite bank of the Aare at the bear pit .
Location and creation
With the increasing traffic of goods and tourists at the beginning of the 19th century, a high bridge was to be built in Bern, which would eliminate or reduce the steep gradients to and from the city through the Aare ditch. A fierce dispute broke out about the suitable location, which was ultimately decided in favor of the lower old town, near Nydegg.
After the project proposal by private initiators had been rejected, in 1836 the civic community of Bern commissioned four foreign bridge experts (Donegani, Jaquiné, Mosca and Negrelli ) to provide expert opinions and, based on this, had the architect Joseph Ferry prepare plans. These were changed several times by the bridge building company that had been formed in the meantime and revised again in 1840 by the project manager Rudolf von Wurstemberger. The project even underwent substantial adjustments during the construction period after several project changes and improvements.
The bridge was built between September 1840 and November 1844 in a four-year construction period by the Uri contractor Karl Emanuel Müller (the builder of the second Devil's Bridge over the Schöllenen Gorge on the Gotthard). After the difficulties, which were almost insurmountable at the beginning due to the flooding of the Aare, had been mastered, the construction work progressed rapidly, and on September 15, 1843, the keystone of the great arch was installed amid the thunder of cannons. The opening ceremony took place on November 23, 1844.
The bridge was controversial from the start, mainly because it only partially lifted the gradients and there were still significant differences in height to be overcome both on the city side and on the land side. Gradients were a much greater hindrance for the horse-drawn vehicles of that time than for today's motorized traffic.
The bridge tariffs levied in accordance with the cantonal and federal concessions always remained well below expectations and, together with the cost overruns, caused the bridge building company major financial problems. Ultimately, they could only be resolved with the lifting of the bridge tariffs on March 1, 1853 and the compensation of the shareholders with 70% of their contribution.
Dimensions
The Nydegg Bridge is around 200 meters long, with the middle section between the pavilions planned as customs houses measuring 124.3 meters. The span of the main arch over the Aare measures almost 46 m, making it one of the largest spans of natural stone bridges, that of the two side arches 16.5 m. The bridge width is 25.2 m at the access roads, 15.6 m over the side arch and 12.2 m over the Aare.
literature
- Urs Emch, The Berner Nydeggbrücke, history of a pioneering structural engineering achievement , Haupt, Bern 2012, ISBN 978-3-258-07745-1 .
See also
Web links
- Nydegg Bridge. In: Structurae
- Information about the Nydegg Bridge on g26.ch ( Memento from July 14, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- View of the side arch (downstream from the Aar) of the ETHorama Library, archive picture from January 28, 1904
- The bridge was a pioneering work Der Bund , December 12, 2012
Individual evidence
- ↑ Urs Emch: The Berner Nydeggbrücke, history of a pioneering structural engineering achievement , Haupt, Bern 2012, ISBN 978-3-258-07745-1 , p. 112
Coordinates: 46 ° 56 ′ 54 " N , 7 ° 27 ′ 31" E ; CH1903: 601521 / one hundred and ninety-nine thousand six hundred ninety-five