The Wiesen Viaduct (or Wiesener Viaduct; german: Wiesener Viadukt) is a single-track railway
viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
, made from concrete blocks with
dimension stone
Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and finished (e.g., trimmed, cut, drilled, ground, or other) to specific sizes or shapes. Color, texture and pattern, and surface finish of the stone are also normal requirements. A ...
coverage. It spans the
Landwasser
The Landwasser is a river in Switzerland, canton of Graubünden. Its origin was Lake Davos before this was turned into a reservoir for a power station. Nowadays it is prolonged by the creek Flüelabach at its source and changes its name near Davo ...
southwest of the hamlet of
Wiesen, in the
canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative division terminology
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and ent ...
of
Grisons
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Designed by the then chief engineer of the
Rhaetian Railway
The Rhaetian Railway (german: Rhätische Bahn; it, Ferrovia retica; rm, Viafier retica), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the RhB ...
, Henning Friedrich, it was built between 1906 and 1909 by the contractor G. Marasi (Westermann & Cie, Zürich) under the supervision of P. Salaz and Hans Studer (RhB). The Rhaetian Railway still owns and uses it today for regular service. An important element of the
Davos–Filisur railway, the viaduct is high and long; it has a main span of .
Location
The Wiesen Viaduct forms part of the Davos–Filisur railway section between
Wiesen and
Filisur
Filisur is an Alpine village and former municipality in the Albula Region in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The village sits on a hillside with a view to the west where the two rivers Albula/Alvra from the Albula Pass and Landwasser ...
. Just southwest of Wiesen railway station, it has, on its south side, a separate pedestrian bridge giving hikers access to
Filisur
Filisur is an Alpine village and former municipality in the Albula Region in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The village sits on a hillside with a view to the west where the two rivers Albula/Alvra from the Albula Pass and Landwasser ...
. At the western end of the viaduct is a non functioning
Hippsche turning wheel.
History
The Wiesen Viaduct structure was designed by the then Chief Engineer of the Rhaetian Railway, Henning Friedrich. Construction began in October 1906, under the direction of another engineer, Hans Studer. With the launch of the Davos–Filisur railway in July 1909, the viaduct came into operation. It cost a total of 324,000
Swiss francs
The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the f ...
to build.
The
falsework
Falsework consists of temporary structures used in construction to support a permanent structure until its construction is sufficiently advanced to support itself. For arches, this is specifically called centering. Falsework includes temporary su ...
used for the building of the viaduct was designed by G. Marasi, swallowed up around of wood, and was constructed by the Graubünden carpenter
Richard Coray.
In 1926, the viaduct was the inspiration for
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-centur ...
's painting ''Brücke bei Wiesen''.
Technical data
The Wiesen Viaduct is high and long. Its main span is only wide, but also long, which makes it
one of the longest main spans of any masonry bridge.
To the west of the main span are two arches, each long. East of the main span are four more arches, each of them also long.
These technical characteristics combine to make the Wiesen Viaduct the Rhaetian Railway's largest stone and second largest bridge.
Gallery
Wiesener Viadukt RhB 01 08.jpg, Push–pull train, with Ge 4/4 I no 608 and driving coach BDt no 1721, crossing the Wiesen Viaduct.
File:Hippsche Wendescheibe RhB Wiesen 02 08.jpg, A push–pull train from Filisur
Filisur is an Alpine village and former municipality in the Albula Region in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The village sits on a hillside with a view to the west where the two rivers Albula/Alvra from the Albula Pass and Landwasser ...
crossing the viaduct. The non functioning Hippsche turning wheel is visible at the right.
File:Wiesener Viadukt.jpg, View of the viaduct in summer.
File:Wiesener Viadukt (10-2008).jpg, Wiesener Viadukt (10-2008)
File:Wiesen Gesamtansicht 01 09.jpg, View of the viaduct from the Jenisbergstrasse.
File:Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Brücke bei Wiesen.jpg, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-centur ...
: ''Brücke bei Wiesen''.
See also
*
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is a train connecting Chur (or Davos) in Switzerland to Poschiavo in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy by crossing the Swiss Engadin Alps. For most of its journey, the train also runs along the World Heritage Site known as the ...
*
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 ...
References
* See the references in
Wiesener Viadukt (de Wikipedia)
External links
*
*
{{RhB structures
Viaducts in Switzerland
Rhaetian Railway bridges
Buildings and structures in Graubünden
Bridges completed in 1909
Stone arch bridges
Cultural property of regional significance in Graubünden
20th-century architecture in Switzerland