Rapperswil lake dam

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See the lake dam from the Etzel . To the right of the dam is the boardwalk.

The artificial dam at the narrowest point of Lake Zurich , between Pfäffikon and Rapperswil, is called Seedamm von Rapperswil .

geography

The lake dam, which is based on an Ice Age moraine , separates the Obersee from the main part of Lake Zurich with the Hurden peninsula protruding into the lake from the south . It lies on the territories of the cantons of Schwyz and St. Gallen . To the north-west of the lake dam lies the triangle between the cantons of Schwyz, St. Gallen and Zurich .

A two-lane road and a railroad track lead over the dam with its two bridges . The dam is around 1 kilometer long and the entire connection between the two shores of the lake to the Hurden Canal is around 2.4 kilometers. The wooden bridge for pedestrians , which opened in 2001, runs on the southeast side of the dam .

At the beginning of the 21st century, an average of 24,000 vehicles and around 75 passenger trains used the lake dam every day.

history

Around 1500 BC There is evidence of a wooden walkway between the Hurden peninsula and the opposite bank. Until 1358 there was ferry traffic between Rapperswil and Hurden .

In 1354 , after Rapperswil had been sold to Habsburg-Austria , Duke Rudolf IV (Austria) of Habsburg decided to build a wooden bridge . This was completed in 1358, had a length of about 1450 meters and a width of 4 meters; 546 oak piles were installed. It was designed for pedestrians, carts and cattle drives. The construction and maintenance was covered by road tolls . In 1847 the bridge was last renewed.

In 1873 the federal parliament approved the construction of the lake dam; Construction began in 1875. The dam was inaugurated in 1878 and the old wooden walkway torn down. The construction cost 1,462,000 Swiss francs , with the city of Rapperswil having to contribute 1,100,000 francs. Between 1939 and 1951 the sea dam was renovated, reinforced and the carriageway widened from 4.8 to 8.5 meters (the pavement from 2.2 to 3.4 meters) in order to be able to cope with the increasing demands. As part of this reorganization 1943 in southern Hurden a channel puncture dredged from the upper to the lower Zurich and the road and train it out by means of a bridge. The swing bridge at Rapperswil became obsolete and was replaced by a permanent bridge in 1949. The canton of Zurich only paid its share of the costs after a federal court decision.

On April 6, 2001, a wooden footbridge was built and opened between Rapperswil and Hurden, the lines roughly following the historical lake crossing. It is 841 meters long and 2.4 meters wide. It is therefore the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. 233 piles were built, and with a few exceptions (main beams, barriers, connecting parts) the entire bridge is made of untreated oak . The lifespan is estimated at 50 to 70 years. The creation costs of 3,050,000 francs were raised through donations.

gallery

  • Railway and road bridge

  • Wooden walkway

  • Depiction on the Gyger map from 1667

  • Seedamm, taken in 1919 by Walter Mittelholzer

  • Seedamm, taken in 1919 by Walter Mittelholzer

Web links

Commons : Seedamm von Rapperswil  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Inventory: Seedamm Rapperswil. State Archives St.Gallen. 1939-1951. Signature: ZLD 019. Link
  2. ↑ a b Rappi's stories 1949 (approx. In the middle of the page)

Coordinates: 47 ° 13 '16 "  N , 8 ° 48' 40"  E ; CH1903:  703 951  /  230929