Weihe Viaduct

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish The Weihe Viaduct (German: Weihetalbrücke, also known as Talbrücke Richelsdorf) is a motorway bridge on the Bundesautobahn 4 (A 4) near Richelsdorf, Germany.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The bridge is located between the eastbound and westbound exits for Gerstungen on the route between Bad Hersfeld (Hesse) and Eisenach (Thuringia).

It is a prestressed concrete bridge with a length of 584 m, and rests on eight columns. It crosses the valley of the small river Weihe.Template:Citation needed

History

The construction of the bridge had been planned since the beginning of the 1940s. Construction began but halted,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> leaving only a few columns built. This was due to its location near the former border between the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. Instead, a provisional route through the valley was constructed for the motorway.

After the 1990 German reunification, traffic increased considerably, and in 1992 construction of a new bridge was started. The new bridge cost 45 million DM and was inaugurated in 1994. It was opened to traffic in 1995.<ref name="TA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two of the old columns were kept as a monument.<ref name="TA"/>

References

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