Old Town Bridge
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Old Town Bridge (in Norwegian Gamle Bybro or Bybroa is located in Trondheim (a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway). Bybroa crosses the river Nid or Nidelva from the south end of Kjøpmannsgata to Bakklandet. Gamle bybro was constructed in 1681 in conjunction with Cicignon's city reconstruction and the construction of the Kristiansten Fortress.
The bridge location was of military-strategic significance and the king assumed the cost of construction. It was completed in 1685. The bridge was built in the vicinity of the Elgeseter Bridge, and when it was opened the older bridge was allowed to decay and collapse. Since then the Gamle Bybro has undergone many changes.
Originally the Gamle Bybro was constructed of wood, but the wood was supported on three stone piers. In the middle of the bridge an iron grill/gate was placed. This remained a guarded city gate until 1816. At each end of the bridge there was a toll and guard house. The access house on the west end still stands, but that on the east side was taken down in 1824.
The bridge was reconstructed in 1861 by the engineer Carl Adolf Dahl. Today Gamle Bybro is one of Trondheim's characteristic landmarks. It is also called "Lykkens portal" (The Gate of Happiness/Luck), after Oskar Hoddø's waltz "Nidelven stille og vakker du er".
