The Mala Rijeka Viaduct
Coordinates42°33′09″N 19°23′15″E / 42.55250°N 19.38750°E / 42.55250; 19.38750
Carries1 rail track
CrossesValley of the Mala Rijeka River
LocaleNear Bioče, Podgorica
Official nameМост изнад Мале Ријеке/Most iznad Male Rijeke
Characteristics
DesignTruss bridge
MaterialSteel, concrete
Total length498.8 m (1,636 ft)
Height139 m (456 ft)
Longest span150.8 m (495 ft)
Clearance below198 m (650 ft)
History
DesignerLjubomir Jevtović (Engineers: Milivoje Kovačević, Milorad Luković and Milorad Marković)
Constructed byMostogradnja
Construction start1969[1]
Construction end1973[1]
Opened1973
Location

The Mala Rijeka Viaduct (pronounced [mâːlaː rijɛ̌ka], literally Little river) is a viaduct on the Belgrade–Bar railway, located some 20 km north of Podgorica, Montenegro.

Overview

The Mala Rijeka Viaduct seen from the south

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 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.

See also

References

42°33′09″N 19°23′15″E / 42.55250°N 19.38750°E / 42.55250; 19.38750

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