photo: National Geographics/ Lethbridge Viaduct
Not only nature made stunning views, but even railway civil engineers can make breathtaking scenery. There are constructions and buildings related to or initiated by railways, which became a part of the architectural and landscape forming heritage of mankind.
The Lethbridge Viaduct, commonly known as the High Level Bridge, was constructed between 1907 and 1909 at Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada at a cost of $1,334,525.
This massive steel trestle over the Oldman River was designed by the Canadian Pacific Railway's bridge department in Montreal, Quebec. The field work was directed by CPR's Assistant Chief Engineer John Edward Schwitzer. The steel work was manufactured by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario. A 100-man gang worked on the erection of the steel. Although there were some initial problems with settlement, the bridge has proved to be an enduring engineering work and is still in use today.
This bridge is the largest railway structure in Canada and the largest of its type in the world.[1] It was built as part of a major diversion of the Crowsnest Pass route between Lethbridge and Fort Macleod.
- Length: 1,623.86 m (5,327.6 ft)
- Height: 95.7 m (314 ft) above river bed
- Materials: 12,400 tons of steel
- Deck spans and lengths:
- 44 plate girder spans each of 20.4 m (67 ft)
- 22 plate girder spans each of 30.15 m (98.9 ft)
- one riveted lattice-truss of 32.6 m (107 ft)
- Rigid braced steel towers: total of 33
Source: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethbridge_Viaduct
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