Wiesen Viaduct

Wiesen Viaduct Wiesener Viadukt
Wiesen Viaduct. A RhB Ge 4/4 II with a push–pull train crossing the viaduct.
Coordinates
Carries	Rhaetian Railway
Crosses	Albula
Locale	Wiesen Switzerland
Official name	Wiesener Viadukt
Owner	Rhaetian Railway
Maintained by	Rhaetian Railway
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge, Viaduct
Material	Limestone
Total length
Height
Longest span
Number of spans	7
History
Construction begin	October 1906
Opened	1909

The Wiesen Viaduct (or Wiesener Viaduct; German: Wiesener Viadukt) is a single track limestone railway viaduct. It spans the Landwasser southwest of the hamlet of Wiesen, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland.

Designed by the then chief engineer of the Rhaetian Railway, Henning Friedrich, it was built between 1906 and 1909 under the supervision of another engineer, Hans Studer. The Rhaetian Railway still owns and uses it today.

An important element of the Davos–Filisur railway, the viaduct is 88 metres (289 ft) high, 204 metres (669 ft) long, and has a main span of 55 metres (180 ft).

Location

The Wiesen Viaduct forms part of the Davos–Filisur railway section between Wiesen and Filisur. Just 300 metres (980 ft) southwest of Wiesen railway station, it has, on its south side, a separate pedestrian bridge giving hikers access to Filisur. At the western end of the viaduct is a non functioning Hippsche turning wheel.

History

The Wiesen Viaduct structure was designed by the then Chief Engineer of the Rhaetian Railway, Henning Friedrich. Construction began in October 1906, under the direction of another engineer, Hans Studer. With the launch of the Davos–Filisur railway in July 1909, the viaduct came into operation. It cost a total of 324,000 Swiss francs to build.

The falsework used for the building of the viaduct was designed by G. Marasi, swallowed up around 500 cubic metres (18,000 cu ft) of wood, and was constructed by the Graubünden carpenter Richard Coray.

In 1926, the viaduct was the inspiration for Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's painting Brücke bei Wiesen.

Technical data

The Wiesen Viaduct is 88 metres (289 ft) high and 204 metres (669 ft) long. Its main span is only 3.7 metres (12 ft) wide, but also 55 metres (180 ft) long, which makes it one of the longest main spans of any masonry bridge.

To the west of the main span are two arches, each 20 metres (66 ft) long. East of the main span are four more arches, each of them also 20 metres (66 ft) long.

These technical characteristics combine to make the Wiesen Viaduct the Rhaetian Railway's largest stone bridge.

Gallery

• Wiesener Viadukt RhB 01 08.jpg

  Push–pull train, with Ge 4/4 I no 608 and driving coach BDt no 1721, crossing the Wiesen Viaduct.

• Hippsche Wendescheibe RhB Wiesen 02 08.jpg

  A push-pull train from Filisur crossing the viaduct.

• Wiesener Viadukt.jpg

  View of the viaduct in summer.

• Wiesen Gesamtansicht 01 09.jpg

  View of the viaduct from the Jenisbergstrasse.

• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Brücke bei Wiesen.jpg

  Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: Brücke bei Wiesen.

See also

• Bernina Express
• Arch bridge

References

• See the references in Wiesener Viadukt (de Wikipedia) (German)

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Wiesener Viadukt at Brueckenweb (German)
• Wiesen Viaduct at Structurae