Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Railway Bridge comes to Life after 100 Years.



A very special project with the initiative from Horsens municipality has been carried through in 2014 near Vestbirk in East Jutland. 

A dam was built in 1929 in order to cover a railway-steel-bridge between  the town Vestbirk and Bryrup in connection to the necessary extension of the railway tracks. At that time it was decided to let the steel grid bridge be kept under the earth of the dam.  The bridge was a sleeping beauty for more than a hundred years, but now it is re-established. The project is economically supported by EU and by the Danish  ministeries of environment, food, agriculture and fishing.

The purpose of this  project is to create a free passage for fish in the river Gudenaa. In connection to the digging-work it has shown that the steel of the bridge is in a very good condition - and it is quite  unique that there is now a possibility to recreate the water flow conditions as they were in 1899.

The fish today - first of all the sea trout and the stalling -  have difficulties in passing the stretch at Vestbirk, but the problem is solved now by removing the dam and open the passage at the river Gudenaa . The water restoration is not only good for the fish - also for bats, insects, frogs etc.






The pretty red-painted railway bridge (a height of 15 meter)  is situated at the most beautiful railway stretch in Denmark and the place will probably be a great attraction to people in general - also in connection to the various nature paths in the area. The bridge can be used by pedestrians and bikers. It is about 50 meter long and can carry a weight of 50 tons.


Source  Horsens Kommune, Vibeke Juul

photo 2014: grethe bachmann 


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