Mat Bridge (or Zogu Bridge) is a bridge across the
Mat river
The Mat ( sq-definite, Mati) is a river in north-central Albania. Its overall length is , while its catchment surface is . Its average discharge is . The main tributary is Fan, flowing from the northeast, while the Mat flows from the southwest d ...
near the town of
Milot in the northwestern part of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. It served to improve communications between south-central Albania and
the northern part of the country, particularly to the northern town of
Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...
.
Designed by
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
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**Ger ...
engineers, it is in length and constructed in five steel arches carried across the river on concrete piers. It was named after the first
King of Albania
While the medieval Angevin Kingdom of Albania was a monarchy, it did not encompass fully the entirety of the modern state of Albania and was ended soon by the Albanian nobles by 1282 when they understood that the Angevin king was not going to keep ...
,
King Zog
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, who ruled from 1928 until the country was invaded by
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
in 1939.
It remained the first and only permanent bridge over the Mat for 50 years, when a second bridge was built. A third was built 25 years after that.
See also
*
*
*
List of bridges in Albania There are hundreds of bridges and bridge ruins found throughout Albania. A total of 90 have achieved the status of monument of cultural heritage. The oldest standing bridge in the country is the ''Kauri Bridge'', located in the village of Poshnjë, ...
References
{{reflist
Bridges in Albania
Buildings and structures in Kurbin