The Werra viaducts near Hedemünden

Hedemünden

thumb|130px|Heraldic sign of HedemündenHedemünden is part of the city Hann. Münden in southern Lower Saxony. Until 1930, it was an independent municipality. About 1500 people live in the village.- Location :thumb|left|Historical center of Hedemünden...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 are two bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

s crossing the valley of the river Werra

Werra

The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....

. They are located in southern Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...

 and provide crossings for the A 7 motorway and the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line. The bridges are located 33 metres apart from each other.

The bridges cross the Werra

Werra

The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....

 river, the B 80 and the Kassel

Kassel

Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...

 to Eichenberg

Eichenberg, Hildburghausen

Eichenberg is a municipality in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany....

 railway line at a maximum height of 59 metres.

Autobahn bridge

A first bridge was erected at the site in 1937. The bridge was destroyed near the end of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and replaced by a temporary bridge until 1952, when a new bridge was built. As the autobahn was expanded to six lanes in the early 1990s, the bridge had to be expanded and rebuilt, lasting from 1987 to 1993. It has a span of 415.9 metres. The bridge is notorious for its strong winds, therefore a speed limit

Speed limit

Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...

 has been established on the approach from the Kassel

Kassel

Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...

 side, which is situated on a steep hillside, with an inclination of up to 8.5%. There is a speed camera situated on the northbound lanes, close to the actual bridge.

Railway bridge

The railway bridge was built from 1986 to 1989 as part of the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line. It has a span of 415.5 metres and links the Münden Tunnel to the Rauheberg Tunnel.

Literature

• Bundesministerium für Verkehr: Brücken der Bundesfernstrassen 1994. Verkehrsblatt-Verlag, Dortmund, 1994. ISBN 3-89273-070-9
• Knut Reimers und Wilhelm Linkerhägner: Wege in die Zukunft. Neubau- und Ausbaustrecken der DB. Hestra Verlag Darmstadt, 1987. ISBN 3-7771-0200-8