1. History and construction

2. References

The Ravenna Bridge is a {{convert|58|m|ft|0|adj=on}} high and {{convert|225|m|ft|0|adj=on}} long railway viaduct on the Höllental Railway line in the Black Forest, in Breitnau, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The bridge crosses the Ravenna Gorge that ends in the upper Höllental valley, and has a grade of {{convert|12|m|ft|0}}. The origin of the name most likely comes from the French ravin for gorge.

History and construction

The first structure was completed in 1885 and consisted of a steel cantilever span that rested on three mortared sandstone block pillars. The bridge had a slight curve, and trains were limited to a speed of {{convert|15|km/h|mph|0}} and an axle load of {{convert|16|t|LT|0|lk=on}}. Heavier locomotives and faster speeds led to the construction in 1926–27 of the current structure, a mortared stone viaduct with nine arches and an arch span of {{convert|20|m|ft|0}}, which also had the effect of straightening the railway line. The old bridge was then demolished, although the old abutments are still visible.

The Ravenna Tunnel that follows immediately after the bridge was originally {{convert|85|m|ft|0}} long. It was partially cut open and thus has a length today of only {{convert|47|m|ft|0}}.

The bridge was exploded by German forces near the end of the World War II. It was re-built in 1947–48, under the direction of French occupying forces and with the use of German prisoners of war obligated to undertake compulsory labour, so that large quantities of logs from the Black Forest that had to be delivered as war reparations could be transported out.

References

• Colonial Heads of Ambas Bay
• Colonial Heads of Amhara
• Colonial Heads of Angola
• Colonial Heads of Benin (Dahomey)
• Colonial Heads of Botswana (Bechuanaland)
• Colonial Heads of British Cameroon
• Colonial Heads of Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)
• Colonial Heads of Burundi
• Colonial Heads of Burundi (Ruanda-Urundi)
• Colonial Heads of Burundi (Urundi)
• Colonial Heads of Cape Verde
• Colonial Heads of Central Africa
• Colonial Heads of Chad
• Colonial Heads of Congo
• Colonial Heads of Djibouti (French Somaliland)
• Colonial Heads of Egypt
• Colonial heads of Egypt
• Colonial Heads of Equatorial Guinea
• Colonial Heads of French Cameroon
• Colonial Heads of French Equatorial Africa
• Colonial Heads of Galla-Sidama
• Colonial Heads of German Cameroon
• Colonial Heads of Harar
• Colonial Heads of Italian East Africa
• Colonial Heads of Mauritania