Cologne-Rodenkirchen Rhine Bridge
A slender motorway suspension bridge in southern Cologne – on its opening in 1941 it was Germany's first true suspension bridge and Europe's largest.
The Rodenkirchen Rhine Bridge is a 567-metre suspension bridge carrying the A 4 motorway across the Rhine at Rodenkirchen, linking the left- and right-bank sections of Cologne's ring motorway.
At a glance
- Opened: 1941, rebuilt 1954
- Length: 567 m, central span 378 m
- Pylon height: 59.4 m
- Structure: a slender, earth-anchored cable suspension bridge in Cologne bridge green
A landmark of bridge engineering
It was the work of the famous engineer Fritz Leonhardt together with architect Paul Bonatz. On its inauguration in 1941 it was Germany's first true suspension bridge and at the same time the largest in Europe. After its destruction in 1945 it was rebuilt by 1954 reusing the surviving pylons, and widened from four to six lanes in 1990–1994. Its monumental, natural-stone-clad bridgeheads are especially striking.
Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-23
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