Boyne Viaduct

Boyne Viaduct Irish: Tarbhealach na Bóinne
Carries	Belfast-Dublin railway line
Crosses	River Boyne
Locale	Drogheda
Maintained by	Iarnród Éireann
Characteristics
Design	Stone arch & Iron truss
History
Designer	John Benjamin Macneill
Construction start	1851
Construction end	1855

The Boyne Viaduct (Irish: Tarbhealach na Bóinne), a 30-metre-high (98 ft) railway bridge, or viaduct, that crosses the River Boyne in Drogheda, carrying the main Dublin–Belfast railway line.

The viaduct was designed by the Irish civil engineer Sir John Benjamin Macneill; construction began on the bridge in 1853 and was completed in 1855. It was the seventh bridge of its kind in the world when built and considered one of the wonders of the age.

Prior to its construction railway passengers had to make their way through the town of Drogheda from the stations on either side of the River Boyne until the construction of a temporary wooden bridge, which allowed trains to cross the river from May 1853 until the completion of the viaduct.

During World War II, the viaduct was identified by the British as being of great strategic importance as part of the British plans for a counter-attack following a German invasion of Ireland.

2005 marked the 150th anniversary of the viaduct, and Iarnród Éireann and the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland ran a special service operated by a steam locomotive between Drogheda railway station and Dundalk.

The viaduct comprises twelve stone arches on south side, and a further three on the north. Located near a tight curve, which necessitates the slowing of trains as they approach. The central Pratt truss bridge was originally made of three iron spans that were wide enough to carry two tracks.

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Wikipedia