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The Solkan Bridge, Slovenia

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Added by vindheim
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The Solkan Bridge when opened on 19 July 1906 completed the railway line from Jesenice to Gorizia in what was then Austro Hungary - or more to the point it linked the capital Vienna with the fourth largest city and largest port in the Empire - Trieste. It was opened by the Austrian heir Franz Ferdinand who was the first passenger to travel across the Solkan Bridge.

This bridge was the largest stone bridge in the world when built (as you can see from the postcard) with an 85 metre arch. I believe that this is still the largest stone viaduct arch in the world.

It took around two years to complete. It was built by Brüder Redlich und Berger from Vienna.

In August 1916 Austrian engineers blew up the bridge, using 930 kg Ecrasite, as Italian forces advanced after the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo. After the battle of Caporetto, Gorizia was recaptured by the Austrians who managed to make temporary repairs to the bridge so it once more could be used for railway traffic.

After WW1 the bridge found itself in Italy and a new bridge was completed in 1927 which became (I think) the largest such steel construction for a railway bridge in the world. This is the bridge we see today. Attacks were made on it on 10 August 1944 and 15 March 1945 but they failed to even damage it. After WW2 the borders moved once again and the bridge found itself in Yugoslavia and now it is in Slovenia.

For more pictures and information please see : http://www.motorhomefulltime.com/place/solkan-bridge-slovenia
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