Skansbron is a bascule bridge

Bascule bridge

A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....

 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....

. Stretching over the canal Hammarbykanalen, it connects the major island Södermalm

Södermalm

Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...

 to the southern mainland district Södra Hammarbyhamnen.

Before the lake Hammarbysjön was transformed into a canal in the 1920s, Skanstull

Skanstull

Skanstull is an area in Södermalm in Stockholm. Skanstull connects the traffic between the inner city and the south parts of Stockholm and its suburbs. Skanstull was originally the city’s southern toll station, but the toll station was removed in 1857....

, the southern tollgate of the city, was surrounded by fortifications, including a moat

Moat

A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...

 over which a simple wooden bridge led into the city.

In 1914, the City Council had determined the double traffic load at Slussen

Slussen

Slussen is an area of central Stockholm, connecting Södermalm and Gamla stan. The area is named after the locks between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The locks themselves allow passage between these two bodies of water...

 caused by west-east going ships and north-south bound vehicles, would be solved by rerouting the ships south of Södermalm through a canal to be built.

Delayed by World War I, the works were finally begun in 1923, and by 1925 a double leaf steel drawbridge was completed, 14,9 metres wide, with a 10,7 wide roadway, and a horizontal clearance of 12,5 metres.

During the construction of the bridge, the north-south traffic flow was confined to a temporary 98 metres long wooden viaduct

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...

 with a central main span 32,5 metres long and pipes for water, electricity, gas, and sewer underlying the roadway.

See also

• List of bridges in Stockholm
• Skanstullsbron
  Skanstullsbron
  Skanstullsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Overpassing the older bridge Skansbron, it connects the major island Södermalm to the southern district Johanneshov....
  
  
• Johanneshovsbron
  Johanneshovsbron
  Johanneshovsbron is a 756 metres long and 17,9 metres wide motorway bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Overpassing two older bridges, Skansbron and Skanstullsbron, and one newer bridge, Fredriksdalsbron, it connects Södermalm and the tunnel passing under it, Söderledstunneln, to Johanneshov, the...
  
  
• Fredriksdalsbron

External links

• Stockholmskällan - historical images of Skansbron.