Chemnitztalviadukt

Gazing up at the Chemnitztalviadukt, have you ever wondered how such a structure came to be? The Chemnitztalviadukt isn’t just one bridge, but two parallel railway viaducts. They dramatically cross the Chemnitz River and the Blankenauer Straße. These bridges, each with a distinctly different height, are iconic landmarks of Chemnitz and hold protected status. The older of the two bridges was constructed between July 1869 and June 1871. It was built for the Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz railway line and opened on April 8, 1872. Construction cost around 163,000 Talers, a considerable sum at the time. The bridge has a two-part design. A 180-meter-long section of six steel truss girders spans the Chemnitz River. This section connects to a 118-meter-long section with nine masonry arches. One arch, with an opening of 11.7 meters, spans the Bundesstraße 107. The other eight arches each have a clear width of 9.8 meters. The total length of the bridge is 308 meters. The masonry section curves gently. In 2003, the steel section underwent renovations costing 1.5 million Euros. The masonry western part was renovated in 2019. Locals nicknamed it the “Klapperbrücke” or “Rattling Bridge” due to the loud noise the steel section made when trains crossed. The second bridge, running parallel to the first, stretches 366.3 meters. It was built between 1898 and 1899 by the construction company Dyckerhoff & Widmann. It served as part of the connecting line from Küchwald station to the Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf marshalling yard. Its construction cost approximately 753,000 Marks. This bridge is a concrete arch bridge along its entire length. To visually harmonize with the older bridge, it was clad in natural stone. It stands a few meters taller. Since the line’s closure on August 31, 1999, this second bridge has remained unused. The Chemnitztalviadukt stands as a testament to the ingenuity and architectural prowess of the past, a silent observer of Chemnitz’s ever-evolving history.