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Pfaffendorfer Brücke, Koblenz

Pfaffendorfer Brücke (The Pfaffendorf Bridge) is the oldest bridge over the Rhine at Koblenz, in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The foundation stone was laid in the reign of King William I in 1862 and the bridge was inaugurated in 1864. It was a railway bridge, over which the trains of the Rhenish Railway Company ran to Oberlahnstein, connecting the left and right bank lines. It had three spans constructed of wrought iron, each 97 m long. The height of the arch was 3.14 m. There were two 10 metre-high towers at each end of the bridge, which had iron bars that could be used to seal off the bridge in the event of war. In addition, the right bank was protected by the Horchheim Gate Fortress (Horchheimer Torbefestigung) built between 1864 and 1867. Originally the Pfaffendorf bridge could not be used for road or pedestrian traffic, but as early as 1865, the southern side could be used for general traffic at times when no trains were running. In 1879, the south side of the bridge became permanently available for road traffic. In 1899, the Coblenzer Straßenbahn-Gesellschaft (Koblenz Tramway Company) was permitted to build a tram line over the bridge in order to expand its network on the eastern bank. The last trains crossed the Pfaffendorf Bridge at the beginning of the First World War in August 1914. In 1932, the City of Koblenz owned the Pfaffendorf Bridge and decided to reconstruct it. In fact, it was almost totally rebuilt. With four road lanes and two pedestrian walkways, it had a total width of 16 m. The bridge towers were demolished by the council and a new connection was provided to the Ehrenbreitstein–Lahnstein bypass on the east bank, across the railway line. Like all bridges in Koblenz, the Pfaffendorf Bridge was dynamited on 7 March 1945 by German troops. Early in 1946, construction of a temporary bridge began. Approval was given in 1950 for the rebuilding of a new fixed bridge over the Rhine and a steel girder design was chosen. In 1953, the bridge was opened to traffic, and the temporary bridge was then removed.

February 14th 2025

 

 
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