Sankt Eriksbron
Encyclopedia
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
in central Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Passing over Barnhusviken
Barnhusviken
Barnhusviken is a body of water in central Stockholm, Sweden. Separating the island Kungsholmen from the mainland district Norrmalm north of it, it connects Karlbergssjön to Klara Sjö....
it connects Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland....
to Norrmalm. The present construction was inaugurated in 1937. Neighbouring bridges are: Kungsbron
Kungsbron
Kungsbron is a double bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.- History :...
, Barnhusbron
Barnhusbron
Barnhusbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over Barnhusviken, it connects Kungsholmen to Norrmalm. It is 23 metres wide and 290 metres long with a maximum span of 64.5 metres...
, Stadshusbron
Stadshusbron
Stadshusbron , formerly known as Nya Kungsholmsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden located just north of the Stockholm City Hall...
, Klarabergsviadukten
Klarabergsviadukten
Klarabergsviadukten is a reinforced concrete bridge and a viaduct in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen....
, and Ekelundsbron
Ekelundsbron
Ekelundsbron is a bridge in Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over the canal Karlbergskanalen, it connects the city district Stadshagen on Kungsholmen to the northern suburb Solna....
.
About the name
The name refers to the patron saintPatron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Stockholm, Eric IX of Sweden
Eric IX of Sweden
Eric "IX" of Sweden, , also called Eric the Lawgiver, Erik the Saint, Eric the Holy and in Sweden Sankt Erik meaning Saint Eric was a Swedish king c.1155 – 1160...
(1120–1160), often called "St Eric". It was given to the street passing over the bridge, Sankt Eriksgatan, in 1885 when patriotic and historical names were regarded as appropriate for most structures.
History
Albert Lindhagen
Klas Albert Lindhagen was a Swedish city planner, lawyer, and politician. He is mostly remembered for his city plans for Stockholm produced in the late 19th century.- Biography :...
(1823–1887) did propose a bridge south of the present one in 1866, but its current location was established in a city plan approved in 1880. Different solutions were considered before 1900, including a 15-m wide steel bridge, considered too expensive; a 12-m wide wooden bridge; and a ferry combined with a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
during winters. The capsizing of a rowing boat in the waters at the site of the present bridge in 1898, killing 5 of the 22 aboard, intensified efforts to have the bridge project completed.
In 1900, the City Council decided upon an 18-m wide and 227-m long steel bridge with a navigable clearance of 15.2 m, and the foundation work was started in 1903. When finished in 1906, the bridge had three central spans with 40-m long arched main girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...
s, a roadway made of blocks of wood paving, and two footways made of mastic asphalt.
As the area on both side of the bridge underwent a rapid development paired by the simultaneous exploitation of the western suburbs, the importance of the bridge grew, and by the mid 1930s the traffic load motivated a reconstruction and widening of the bridge. The old foundations were reinforced while the old steel construction was replaced by plate girders
Plate girder bridge
A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or more plate girders. The plate girders are typically I-beams made up from separate structural steel plates , which are welded or, in older bridges, bolted or riveted together to form the vertical web and horizontal flanges of the beam...
carrying a 24-m wide concrete floor. Under the roadway space was reserved for a future metro, later installed after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.