Bechyně Bridge (also known as Bechyně Rainbow, rarely Rainbow Bridge) originally called the Jubilee Bridge, is a unique

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

over the Lužnice river on the eastern edge of

Bechyně Bechyně (; german: Bechin, Beching or ''Bechingen'') is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban ...

in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region ( cs, Jihočeský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western part ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It is a combined bridge for

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

and

rail traffic Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas: Rapid transit A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid accelerati ...

, used by Czech Route 122 (

Týn nad Vltavou Týn nad Vltavou (; german: Moldautein) is a town in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,800 inhabitants. It lies on the Vltava river. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by ...

–Bechyně–

Opařany Opařany (german: Woporschan) is a municipality and village in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. Administrative parts The villages of Hodušín, Nové Dvory, Olší, Oltyně, Podbo� ...

) and the

Tábor–Bechyně railway The Tábor–Bechyně railway was the first electrified railway line in the Czech Republic, opening in 1903. History The proposal for construction of the line was submitted to the Czech Diet in 1896. In 2020, it was announced that the line wo ...

line. During passage of trains, road traffic from Týn nad Vltavou to Bechyně is stopped by a crossing safety device without a barrier; the opposite direction of traffic is unaffected by the train. In 2014 the bridge was declared a national

cultural monument A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a heritage regist ...

Technical data

The bridge is made of reinforced concrete, with a height over the

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

below of less than 60

meter The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

s. The total length is 190.5 m, and the width is 8.9 m. The main arc has a span of 90 m and a rise of 38 m, and a subsidiary field of 4 × 13.5 m and 3 × 15.5 m.Naše mosty historické a současné, Dušan Josef, 1984 The main field is made up of two arched passports connected by bracings. The distance of the arches at the top is 6 m, at the base 8.25 m, and the peak height of the columns is 28 m. Between September 2003 and October 2004, repair, reconstruction and control work were carried out on the bridge, as well as on the track and road.

References

Bridges over the Lužnice Tábor District {{CzechRepublic-struct-stub