Inventory / Structures / ST-02
ST-02Pilchowice bridge
A single steel truss 43 m above the Bóbr, built with the dam it was meant to serve, and now carrying no scheduled traffic at all.
Record
| Type | Steel truss bridge |
|---|---|
| Line | LN-02 — Jelenia Góra – Żagań |
| Built | 1905–1906 |
| Designer | Prussian State Railways engineering office |
| Principal dimension | 131.7 m span |
| Spans | 1 main span |
| Status | Out of regular service |
The structure
The bridge is a steel truss with a main span of 131.7 m, standing 43 m above the water. It was built in 1905–1906 as part of the Jelenia Góra – Pilchowice section, which opened on 1 October 1906. It is among the highest railway bridges in Poland.
Context
The bridge cannot be understood apart from the Pilchowice dam. The railway was pushed through this valley to supply the dam works, and the bridge is the single most expensive consequence of that decision. The water it crosses is itself a product of the dam.
Condition
Regular passenger service on the line was suspended in December 2016. The structure remains standing and has been the subject of periodic proposals for reuse, tourist operation and film work. None of that constitutes maintenance.
Anyone visiting should treat the deck as inaccessible and plan to view from the shore. The approach paths are steep and unmade.