Rendsburg High Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Rendsburg High Bridge is a railway viaduct
on the Neumünster–Flensburg line that also serves as a transporter bridge
. The bridge crosses the Kiel Canal
at Rendsburg
in the German
state of Schleswig-Holstein
. It is federally owned through the Federal Water and Navigation Administration that also owns and runs the canal.
s were built. In 1907 it was decided to enlarge the canal and in the course of this expansion major obstacles were also to be removed.
Main railway lines had right of way over ships on the canal and ships had to stop were to loose about half an hour when a train passed. This was considered the major obstacle as the ships were unable to overtake and could pass each other at dedicated enlarged areas so that the traffic on the entire canal was hampered. Especially the navy pressed for a separation of traffic flows as closed bridges could delay flotillas by several hours.
In order to allow the the railway line to pass above the canal, the new bridge was to have a clearance over the canal's mean water level of 42 metres. The existing tracks crossed the canal about 7 metres above the canal's water level, so the tracks had to be elevated by about 36.5 metres including additional 1.5 metres to cater for the thickness of the girder. The required maximum incline of 1:150 (one metre gain in altitude per 150 metres distance) made it necessary to build elevated embankment
s and access bridges of about 5.5 kilometres at each side.
(1872-1953) and replaced the earlier swing bridges.
The steel viaduct has a length of 2486 metres (8,156.2 ft) and is supplemented by embankments
that bring the overall length of the structure to about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi). The cantilever main bridge
is 317 metres (1,040 ft) long, has a main span of 140 metres (459.3 ft) and provides a clearance of 42 metres (137.8 ft) above the canal's water level.
To allow servicing Rendsburg station
that is situated on ground level only a couple of hundred metres from the main bridge, the railway line is routed through a large 360-degree loop at the north bank of the canal ("Rendsburg Loop
").
Total cost of the construction including the relocation of railway lines but not including work related to the elevation of Rendsburg station were Goldmark
13.4 million. Thereof mark 5.7 million were spent on the bridges, mark 2.7 million for the mounds and mark 1.3 million for underpasses and the relocation of roads.
and the city of Rendsburg. As this mean of transportation is especially useful to students on their way to school, larger maintenance work that requires suspension of service is coordinated with school holidays.
The gondola
is fourteen metres long, six metres wide and travels six metres above the canal. In recent years the nominal transport capacity has been reduced from six to four automobiles in order to factor in increased car size and weight. While the gondola is equipped with nautical equipment such as radio, radar and life-rafts, there is no prerequisite for the operator to hold a master's license for inland navigation.
The only incident so far happened during a storm in January 1993. The unmanned and unlit gondola broke loose at night, was blown over the canal and collided with a ship. Fortunately both ship and gondola suffered only minor damage.
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
on the Neumünster–Flensburg line that also serves as a transporter bridge
Transporter bridge
A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
. The bridge crosses the Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
at Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
state of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
. It is federally owned through the Federal Water and Navigation Administration that also owns and runs the canal.
Previous history
The Kiel Canal (then Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal) was build between 1887 and 1895 cutting through existing traffic lines including the railway line between Neumünster and Flensburg for which two parallel swing bridgeSwing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
s were built. In 1907 it was decided to enlarge the canal and in the course of this expansion major obstacles were also to be removed.
Main railway lines had right of way over ships on the canal and ships had to stop were to loose about half an hour when a train passed. This was considered the major obstacle as the ships were unable to overtake and could pass each other at dedicated enlarged areas so that the traffic on the entire canal was hampered. Especially the navy pressed for a separation of traffic flows as closed bridges could delay flotillas by several hours.
In order to allow the the railway line to pass above the canal, the new bridge was to have a clearance over the canal's mean water level of 42 metres. The existing tracks crossed the canal about 7 metres above the canal's water level, so the tracks had to be elevated by about 36.5 metres including additional 1.5 metres to cater for the thickness of the girder. The required maximum incline of 1:150 (one metre gain in altitude per 150 metres distance) made it necessary to build elevated embankment
Embankment
Embankment may refer to:* A levee or dike, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea...
s and access bridges of about 5.5 kilometres at each side.
Design and construction
The bridge was erected between 1911 and 1913 to a design by Friedrich VossFriedrich Voss (civil engineer)
Friedrich Voss was a German civil engineer educated at Braunschweig University of Technology.-Biography:Voss was born in Calvörde. As a civil engineer his career began at the municipal waterways management of Hamburg-Harburg...
(1872-1953) and replaced the earlier swing bridges.
The steel viaduct has a length of 2486 metres (8,156.2 ft) and is supplemented by embankments
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
that bring the overall length of the structure to about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi). The cantilever main bridge
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
is 317 metres (1,040 ft) long, has a main span of 140 metres (459.3 ft) and provides a clearance of 42 metres (137.8 ft) above the canal's water level.
To allow servicing Rendsburg station
Rendsburg station
Rendsburg station is located in the city of Rendsburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and is at the junction of the Neumünster–Flensburg and Rendsburg Kiel lines. It is currently operated by Deutsche Bahn, which classifies it as a category 4 station. There used to be a direct line from...
that is situated on ground level only a couple of hundred metres from the main bridge, the railway line is routed through a large 360-degree loop at the north bank of the canal ("Rendsburg Loop
Rendsburg Loop
The Rendsburg Loop is an elevated spiral railway in Rendsburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, connecting the Rendsburg High Bridge over the Kiel Canal on the Neumünster–Flensburg line to Rendsburg station.-Construction:...
").
Total cost of the construction including the relocation of railway lines but not including work related to the elevation of Rendsburg station were Goldmark
Goldmark
Goldmark can refer to:*German Goldmark, coinage of the German Empire*Karl Goldmark , composer*Rubin Goldmark, composer*Peter Carl Goldmark, scientist and inventor*Peter J. Goldmark, rancher, geneticist and politician...
13.4 million. Thereof mark 5.7 million were spent on the bridges, mark 2.7 million for the mounds and mark 1.3 million for underpasses and the relocation of roads.
Transporter bridge
The "Schwebefähre" (suspension ferry) runs daily every quarter of an hour from early morning until late at night. It covers a distance of 125 metres (410.1 ft) within 1½ minutes and provides the shortest connection between the municipality of OsterrönfeldOsterrönfeld
Osterrönfeld is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Kiel Canal, approx. 2 km southeast of Rendsburg....
and the city of Rendsburg. As this mean of transportation is especially useful to students on their way to school, larger maintenance work that requires suspension of service is coordinated with school holidays.
The gondola
Gondola
The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...
is fourteen metres long, six metres wide and travels six metres above the canal. In recent years the nominal transport capacity has been reduced from six to four automobiles in order to factor in increased car size and weight. While the gondola is equipped with nautical equipment such as radio, radar and life-rafts, there is no prerequisite for the operator to hold a master's license for inland navigation.
The only incident so far happened during a storm in January 1993. The unmanned and unlit gondola broke loose at night, was blown over the canal and collided with a ship. Fortunately both ship and gondola suffered only minor damage.