Brusio spiral viaduct
| Brusio spiral viaduct Viadotto elicoidale di Brusio | |
|---|---|
 The Bernina Express on the viaduct. | |
| Official name | Viadotto elicoidale di Brusio |
| Other name(s) | Kreisviadukt Brusio |
| Carries | Rhaetian Railway |
| Locale | Brusio, Switzerland |
| Owner | Rhaetian Railway |
| Maintained by | Rhaetian Railway |
| Design | Spiral arch bridge, viaduct |
| Material | Stone |
| Total length | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Number of spans | 9, each of 10 m (33 ft) |
| Coordinates | 46°15′14″N 10°07′40″E / 46.25389°N 10.12778°ECoordinates: 46°15′14″N 10°07′40″E / 46.25389°N 10.12778°E |
The Brusio spiral viaduct (or Brusio circular viaduct; Italian: Viadotto elicoidale di Brusio, German: Kreisviadukt Brusio) is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.
A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.
Location
The Brusio spiral viaduct forms part of the Bernina Railway section between Brusio and Campascio, and is approximately 55 kilometres (34 mi) from St. Moritz.
History
The stone-built viaduct was opened on 1 July 1908, upon the opening of the Tirano–Poschiavo section of the Bernina Railway. In 1943, the whole of that railway company was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway, which still owns and uses the spiral viaduct today.
Technical data
The spiral viaduct is 110 metres (360 ft) long, has a horizontal radius of curvature of 70 metres (230 ft), a longitudinal slope of 7%, and is made up of nine spans, each 10 metres (33 ft) in length.
See also
References
- Belloncle, Patrick, Le chemin de fer Rhétique, 1889-1999, Les Editions du Cabri, Switzerland, ISBN 2-908816-45-8 (French)
- Widmer, Markus, Eisenbahnbrücken, transpress, Stuttgart (Germany), ISBN 3-344-71019-2 (German)
External links
Media related to Brusio spiral bridge at Wikimedia Commons
- Kreisviadukt Brusio at Brueckenweb (German)
- Brusio Circular Viaduct at Structurae
- Webcam overlooking Brusio spiral viaduct (Italian)
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