The Nijmegen railway bridge () is a

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

spanning the River Waal in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, connecting the city of

Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...

to the town of

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

Construction

Construction started in 1875, on the site of an ancient Roman bridge, and was completed 4 years later in 1879. It originally consisted of three truss arches. The southern land

abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end that provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...

, styled as a medieval city gate, was designed by Dutch architect P.J.H Cuypers. These twin tower structures, one each side of the track, were to protect the entrance to the city of Nijmegen and delay any enemy advance to give time to demolish the bridge. The railway bridge's construction enabled train connections to

Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...

, thus Nijmegen was the last major city in the

to be connected to the national rail network.

Second World War

The middle arch of the bridge was destroyed twice during the Second World War, but despite this it survived the conflict. The first demolition was initiated on 10 May 1940 by the Dutch themselves when the Wehrmacht approached. The Germans repaired the bridge, and it was back in service by 17 November 1940. The Germans modified the abutments by removing the top floor of each tower, strengthening the flat roofs and mounting

anti-aircraft guns Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...

. The bridge was involved in Operation Market Garden, and was a key Allied objective. The

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

's assault on the bridge in September 1944 received the nickname "Little Omaha" due to the heavy casualties, and became a significant turning point in the battle. Despite the efforts of the Americans, frogmen from the German Marine Einsatzkommando were able to demolish the bridge again on 28 September 1944.

Reconstruction

To facilitate passage by larger ships, the bridge was reconstructed in 1983, still in the truss style but with only one wider arch. The bridge was also raised by one metre. Only the brick abutment remains from the original structure. This abutment was to be demolished during the reconstruction, but protests from Nijmegen residents prevented this and it was declared a national monument, and in 2008 the third level was rebuilt from the original plans. In 2004, a bicycle bridge known as the ''Snelbinder'' was added to the eastern side of the bridge.

Literature evocation

In the short story of J.H.F. Grönloh ( Nescio) "De uitvreter", the main character commits suicide by stepping from the bridge.

References

{{Authority control Truss bridges Bridges completed in 1879 Bridges completed in 1984 Bridges over the Rhine Railway bridges in the Netherlands Steel bridges in the Netherlands Bridges in Nijmegen Rijksmonuments in Nijmegen