South Bridge (Cologne)
| South Bridge, Cologne | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Coordinates | 50°55′2″N 6°58′26″E / 50.91722°N 6.97389°ECoordinates: 50°55′2″N 6°58′26″E / 50.91722°N 6.97389°E |
| Carries | Trains |
| Crosses | Rhine |
| Locale | Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Official name | Südbrücke |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Tied-arch |
| Total length | 368 m (1,207 ft) |
| Width | 10.34 m (34 ft) |
| Longest span | 165 m (541 ft) |
| History | |
| Construction start | 8 November 1906; 1947 |
| Construction end | 1910; 1950 |
| Opened | 5 April 1910 |
The South Bridge (German: Südbrücke pronounced [ˈzyːtʰˌbʁʏkʰə], Colognian: Söhdbrök pronounced [ˈzøˑt̚ ˌbʁøˑkʰ]) is a bridge over the Rhine on the Cologne freight bypass railway in Cologne in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. On the west side of the Rhine, it forms the border between the districts of Neustadt-Süd and Köln-Bayenthal. On the east bank of the Rhine it forms the border between Köln-Deutz and Köln-Poll.
The two track South Bridge is used by railway traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. Since its construction it has been used mainly by freight services. Some Intercity-Express services were also scheduled to run over the bridge before the rebuilding of Köln Messe/Deutz station.
The South Bridge was built from 1906 (start of construction: 8 November 1906) to 1910 for 5.5 million marks by the Prussian state railways under the direction of the head of the board of works, Fritz Beermann. The design was in the hands of Frederick Dircksen, who also initially directed the construction. The designs of the stonework at the portals, the ramps and the piers was carried out by the Berlin architect Franz Schwechten, who designed the corresponding work for the Hohenzollern Bridge. It was officially put into service on 5 April 1910. The construction of sidewalks on both sides of the bridge was funded by the city of Cologne. An opening ceremony was dispensed with as a result of a severe accident in 1908 (during the building of the middle truss arch), in which eight workers were killed.
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