The Eiffel Bridge ( ro, Podul Eiffel) is a bridge over the
River Prut and a
checkpoint between Moldova and Romania. The bridge is located between
Ungheni
Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border t ...
,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
and
Ungheni
Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border t ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
.
History
On a Russian diplomatic agent, Ivan Alekseevich Zinov'ev, and
Gheorghe Costaforu
Gheorghe Costaforu (October 26, 1820 – November 28, 1876) was a lawyer, university professor and Romanian politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Life and career
A graduate of Law School at Sorbonne University, Costaforu b ...
signed a rail junction convention, which was ratified on .
[Frederick Kellogg, ''The Road to Romanian Independence'', 1995, p. 84] and the
Iaşi-Ungheni railway was opened on August 1, 1874. The railway
Chişinău-
Corneşti-Ungheni (built 1871–1875) was opened on June 1, 1875, by the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
in preparation for the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...
. Ungheni customs were established in 1875 after putting into operation the Chişinău-Ungheni-Iaşi railroad. The railway Chişinău-
Corneşti was already opened in 1873.
In 1876, after the spring flooding of the river
Prut
The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , uk, Прут) is a long river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube. In part of its course it forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine.
Characteristics
The Prut originates ...
, the railway bridge that linked
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
was almost destroyed. The Railway Department invited
Gustave Eiffel
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...
to
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
(Moldova) to redesign and rebuild the bridge, which was opened on , just three days before the outbreak of the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...
. On , Russian troops entered Romania at Ungheni and, the next day, Russia declared war on the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. Today, the bridge remains a strategically positioned construction under the supervision of border guards.
In the nearby city of
Iaşi,
Gustave Eiffel
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...
also built the
Grand Hotel Traian (1882).
Gallery
File:Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni.gif,
File:Eiffel Bridge Ungheni.jpg, The bridge in 2010
File:Eiffel Bridge Ungheni Panorama.jpg, Panoramic photograph of the bridge in 2016
File:Eiffel Bridge Ungheni Distance.jpg, A distance look on the bridge
See also
*
Moldovan–Romanian relations
*
List of bridges in Moldova
The list of bridges is a link page for any bridges that are notable enough to have an article, or that are likely to have an article in the future, sorted alphabetically by country.
Lists of bridges by country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria ...
*
List of bridges in Romania
This list of bridges in Romania lists bridges of particular historical, scenic, architectural or engineering interest. Road and railway bridges, viaducts, aqueducts and footbridges are included.
Historical and architectural interest bridges
M ...
Notes
External links
Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova
* {{in lang, ro}
Bridges in Moldova
Bridges completed in 1877
Bridges over the Prut
Railway bridges in Romania
Railway bridges in Moldova
Moldova–Romania border crossings
Romania–Soviet Union relations
Buildings and structures in Iași County
Ungheni
1877 establishments in the Russian Empire
Gustave Eiffel's designs