Red Bridge (Bern)
As Red Bridge was railway bridge over the Aare referred that in the 1858-1941 Switzerland to Bern station linked with the Wylerfeld. Since the Aare bridge was painted red red lead to prevent rust , it was popularly known as the “Red Bridge”.
construction
The Aare Bridge was part of the Olten – Bern railway , which the Swiss Central Railway built from Herzogenbuchsee to Bern . The bridge was designed by Gränicher. In May 1856, the foundations of the abutments of the bridge, which crossed the Aare from the Wylerfeld shortly before the planned Bern main station, began. On June 16, 1857, the railway line from Herzogenbuchsee via Burgdorf and Zollikofen to the gates of the city of Bern in Wylerfeld was opened. A temporary train station had to be set up there because the bridge was not yet finished. For more than a year, the travelers from Wylerfeld had to travel to the city by stagecoach . On November 8, 1858, the test drive took place over the completed bridge; on November 15, 1858, it was opened to traffic and trains from Basel and Zurich could enter Bern.
Building
The bridge was an iron bridge, which was supported by two strong stone pillars. There were two tracks at the top and a lane for pedestrians and carts underneath. This road was laterally enclosed by a lattice construction and against it leading tracks she was safe from falling down coal completely bedielt .
The roadway was led through the abutment at each end, then turned right and left and followed the foot of the embankment on both sides.
Accidents occurred again and again on the road, because the horses shied away from the steaming trains. That is why the bridge was nicknamed " Würgengel" .
Reinforcements
Due to the increase in traffic and increasingly heavy trains, the bridge had to be reinforced in 1899 and 1921.
cancellation
In 1930, the road and footpath were closed after the opening of the road over the neighboring Lorraine Bridge.
Between 1936 and 1941, the access to the railway line from Wylerfeld to the train station was relocated and led over the Lorraine Viaduct , which has a total length of around 1150 meters, of which 321 meters make up the actual Aare bridge.
After the opening of the new access road, the Red Bridge was shut down in 1941 and immediately demolished.
swell
- Paul Boss: That was the old train station. Pictures from the old Bern train station. Benteli Verlag, Bern 1974, ISBN 3-7165-0023-1 .
- General plan of the city of Bern 1925
Web links
- Information about the Red Bridge on g26.ch ( Memento from June 23, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- Red bridge. In: Structurae
- Film recording 1920s (after approx. 30 sec)
Coordinates: 46 ° 57 '10.3 " N , 7 ° 26' 35.2" E ; CH1903: 600 341 / 200199