Mala Rijeka Viaduct
The Mala Rijeka Viaduct is a viaduct on the Belgrade–Bar railway, located some 20 km north of Podgorica, Montenegro.
The Mala Rijeka Viaduct | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 42°33′09″N 19°23′15″E |
| Carries | 1 rail track |
| Crosses | Valley of the Mala Rijeka River |
| Locale | Mala Rijeka River, Montenegro |
| Official name | Мост изнад Мале Ријеке/Most iznad Male Rijeke |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Material | Steel, concrete |
| Total length | 498.8 m (1,636 ft) |
| Height | 139 m (456 ft) |
| Longest span | 150.8 m (495 ft) |
| Clearance below | 198 m (650 ft) |
| History | |
| Designer | Ljubomir Jevtovic (Engineers: Milivoje Kovacevic, Milorad Lukovic and Milorad Markovic) |
| Constructed by | Mostogradnja |
| Construction start | 1969[1] |
| Construction end | 1973[1] |
| Opened | 1973 |
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Overview
The project was started in 1969 and was completed in 1973. The viaduct is 498.8 metres (1,636 ft) long and at its highest is 200 metres (660 ft) above the Mala Rijeka (pronounced [mâːlaː rijɛ̌ka], meaning literally Little river). It is also the longest bridge on the Belgrade–Bar railway.[2]
When constructed it was the highest railway bridge in the world, surpassing the record height previously held by the Fades viaduct in France. It held the record until 2001 when the Beipan River Shuibai Railway Bridge, a concrete arch bridge, was completed in Guizhou, China. Multiple railway bridges under construction in China will also be higher.[3]
Construction
36,000 m³ of concrete and 100,000 tonnes of steel were built into the bridge. The largest of four pillars, upon which the bridge lies, has a base bigger than a tennis court.
Belgian extreme sportsman Cedric Dumont was the first person ever to jump from the bridge on 11 September 2008.