List of road–rail bridges explained
Road–rail bridges are bridges shared by road and rail lines. Road and rail may be segregated so that trains may operate at the same time as cars (e.g., the Sydney Harbour Bridge). The rail track can be above the roadway or vice versa with truss bridges. Road and rail may share the same carriageway so that road traffic must stop when the trains operate (like a level crossing), or operate together like a tram in a street (street running).
Road–rail bridges are sometimes called combined bridges.[1]
Afghanistan
Argentina
Australia
Current
- Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, carried further two rail tracks as tram tracks from 1932 until 1958.
- Narrows Bridge, Perth, carries Mandurah railway line in central reservation[2]
- Mount Henry Bridge, Perth, carries Mandurah railway line in central reservation[2]
- Bridgewater Bridge, Hobart, carried Midland Highway and South railway line[3] [4]
- Burdekin Bridge
- Bli Bli Bridge, carries David Low Way over Maroochy River, also carried Moreton Central Sugar Mill Cane Tramway until the mid-1990s[5]
- Dickabram Bridge
- Grafton Bridge, Grafton, carries road on top level with North Coast railway line below[6]
- Septimus, Queensland – Head-Menkens Road – Cane tram[7]
- Fremantle Railway Bridge, Fremantle proposed to be rebuilt as combined bridge after flood damage; 1926.[8]
- Bloomfield Coal Loop over New England Highway near Thornton[9]
- Leonardi Di Palma road-rail bridge, Miallo, Queensland – Cane tram[10] 610mm gauge
- John Luscombe Pioneer River bridge, sugar cane tramway 610mm gauge
Former
Bangladesh
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
- Alberta:
- British Columbia:
- Nova Scotia:
- Ontario:
- Québec:
- Saskatchewan:
China (mainland)
Current
- Acorss Yangtze River:
See main article: Bridges and tunnels across the Yangtze River. From upstream to esturay: Yibin Jinsha River Road–Rail Bridge, Lingang Yangtze River Bridge, Linyu Yangtze River Bridge, Second Luzhou Yangtze River Bridge, Dingshan Bridge, Yudong Yangtze River Bridge, Baijusi Yangtze River Bridge, Caiyuanba Bridge, Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge, Chaotianmen Bridge, Guojiatuo Yangtze River Bridge, Zhicheng Yangtze River Bridge, Jingzhou Yangtze River Road-Railway Bridge, Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge, Huanggang Yangtze River Bridge, Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge, Tongling Yangtze River Road-Railway Bridge, Third Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge, Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge, Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge, Husutong Yangtze River Bridge
- Acorss other rivers than Yangtze River:
Former
- Binbei Bridge (was a part of G202 and Harbin–Bei'an railway, road part closed in 2006, railway part closed and replaced by another bridge in 2016)
- Songpu Bridge (railway part abandoned, and replaced by Jinshan railway Huangpu River Bridge, still used by G320)
Czech Republic
- Bechyně. In 1928 a bridge was constructed to carry the railway line and road from Tábor into Bechyně. Previously the line had stopped on the other side of a deep gorge from the town and access was by way of a steep road and narrow bridge. The rail line runs in the roadway for 100 m and traffic stopped by lights as for a grade crossing.[22]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Egypt
- Proposed road-rail tunnel under Suez Canal[25]
- Suez Canal road rail bridge at El Hammad[26]
Estonia
Fiji
- On Viti Levu the CSR Company was obliged to provide road-rail bridges when it built bridges for the Cane Trains to their sugar mills, e.g. the two largest bridges over the Ba and Sigatoka Rivers. Many are now rail-only as separate road bridges has been built.
- The Ba Bridge (550abbr=onNaNabbr=on) has 19 spans, 17 standard spans (30abbr=onNaNabbr=on) and a short span at each end, and has been rail-only for many years. The Sigatoka Bridge (810abbr=onNaNabbr=on) has 27 spans. Both bridges are prone to hurricane damage due to extra flow of water; the Ba Bridge often disappears under water but is not always damaged (see Cane Trains).
- Sigatoka Bridge was washed away by storms, January 2009.[27]
- Labasa River - Sugar cane tramway; 610mm gauge; proposed. [28]
Finland
France
Germany
Wartime
Ghana
- Unknown location with YouTube movie[32]
Guatemala
Hong Kong
Current
Former
Hungary
India
- Digha–Sonpur bridge, Bihar
- Godavari Bridge, Andhra Pradesh
- Naranarayan Setu, Assam
- Saraighat Bridge, Assam
- Koilwar Bridge, Bihar
- Rajendra Setu, Bihar
- Munger Ganga Bridge, Bihar
- Farakka Barrage, West Bengal
- Vivekananda Setu, West Bengal
- Strachey Bridge, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
- Old Naini Bridge, Allahabad
- Old Yamuna Bridge, Delhi
- Malaviya Bridge, Varanasi Over Ganga in U.P.
Indonesia
Iraq
Italy
Current
Former
Japan
Current
- Great Seto Bridge, JR Shikoku Honshi-bisan Line and Seto-Chuo Expressway
- Kansai International Airport Access Bridge (Sky Gate Bridge R), JR West, Nankai Railway and 6-lane expressway
- , between Kobe Airport and Port Island, carrying the Port Liner
- Murayama Bridge, Nagano Electric Railway and National Route 406
- Rainbow Bridge, Yurikamome and Shuto Expressway Daiba Route (route 11)
- Rokko Bridge, Rokko Island Line and 4-lane road
- Shin Yodogawa Bridge, Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and National Route 423
- Shin-Kuzuryu Bridge, Hokuriku Shinkansen (railway under construction) and Fukui Prefectural Route 268[42]
- Tatsunokuchi Bridge, Sendai Subway Tozai Line and 2-lane road
- Tatsupi Bridge, Tama Toshi Monorail Line and Tokyo Prefectural Route 149
Former
- – Azumabashi Line closed in 1972
- Inuyama Bridge – separated in 2000.
- – Umayabashi Line closed in 1971
North Korea
South Korea
Laos
Macau
Mexico
Mozambique
- The Dona Ana Bridge has carried rail and road traffic, but not at the same time.
Myanmar
New Zealand
A 1930 report listed 33 bridges and estimated that the cost of bridge-keepers, extra maintenance for the decks, etc. amounted to £15,500 a year, as against £4,307 paid to NZR.[43]
Current
Former
Temporary
- Wairoa River – due to road bridge washaway 2008[49]
Nigeria
Norway
- Rødberg Bridge carried the now closed Numedal Line to its terminus in Rødberg and the highway continuing to Geilo over Upsetelva in the center of Rødberg. The rails are still in place, covered by tarmac. There has been no rail traffic on Numedalsbanen since 1988. The railway is in the road, so car traffic had to stop when trains were passing.
- Bruhaug Bridge, also on Numedal Line carried both the railway and local car traffic over the river Numedalslågen. The road surface is wood.
- Hølendalen Bridge, near Moss. Motorway and railway, parallel separate bridges.
- Nygård Bridge in Bergen carries both the Bergen Light Rail and a street. A parallel bridge carries European Route E39.
Pakistan
Railway Track under Metro Bus Track on Gate of Rawalpindi City near Marirh Chowk Muree Road Rawalpindi
Paraguay
- See above for the cross-border bridge to Argentina
Philippines
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
South Africa
- Buffalo River at East London harbour (double-deck bridge)
- Umkomaas, KZN south coast
- Port Shepstone, KZN south coast
- Caledon River at Maseru
- Fairy Knowe (Wilderness)
- Qamata
- Tugela (at one time, many years ago)[52]
Sri Lanka
Sweden
- Øresund Bridge – 8 km long two-level bridge. Road (four lane) on top, rail (two tracks) below.
- A few narrow same-track combined road-rail bridges:
- Traneberg Bridge – in Stockholm, combined road and subway/metro rail bridge.
- Skanstull Bridge – in Stockholm, combined road and subway/metro rail bridge.
- Lidingöbron – 1 km long parallel road and rail (two separate bridges). The road bridge was built 1971; before that the old bridge had road and double track railway in the same carriageway.
Switzerland
The Bernina railway shares a bridge over the River Poschiavino at Campocologno just north of the Swiss-Italian border.
Both railways operated by Aare Seeland Mobil go over three combined bridges each. Four of these bridges cross the Aare river, one crosses a highway.
Thailand
Current
Former
Turkey
- Gülüşkür Bridge - Crosses the Keban Dam in eastern Turkey.
- Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge - Crosses the Bosphorus Straight, north of Istanbul. The bridge opened in 2016 with space allocated for a double-track railway which is still under construction.
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Current
- Ashton Swing Bridge Preston. Crosses Preston Dock lock. Road traffic and pedestrians controlled by barriers from the lock control room. Still used by The Ribble Steam Railway and tour trains visiting from the main line, still running in 2012 the bridge is used for delivery of bitumen by railway to the Preston Total Bitumen plant. On arrival from Total's oil refinery in Immingham, North Lincolnshire, the tankers are parked at the exchange sidings. The steam railway staff divide the trains and shunt the tankers into Total Bitumen's siding for the bitumen processing and distribution plant, later reforming the trains for their return journey to Immingham.
- Britannia Bridge Robert Stephenson's famous, formerly 'tubular' railway bridge across the Menai Strait in Wales. Rebuilt as a road and rail bridge after a major fire in 1970.
- High Level Bridge Newcastle upon Tyne.
- King George V Bridge, Keadby, North Lincolnshire. Carries the A18 and the Doncaster - Scunthorpe railway across the River Trent. Opened in 1916, Althorpe railway station is on the western bank of the Trent, very close to the bridge, which has not lifted for some years.
- Belfast cross-harbour bridge, opened 1994–1995. See The Motorway Archive
- Kingsferry road and rail bridge, Isle of Sheppey. Built in 1960, until 2006 this was the only road crossing to the island. The bridge opens 20 times each day.
- Porthmadog, Wales, on the Welsh Highland Railway, Shared by this narrow gauge line and the main road through the town.
- Pont Briwet, over River Dwyryd, near Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales – single track rail of the Cambrian Coast Line, beside wide single-carriageway road; re-opened in summer 2015 after major repairs.
Former
- Connel Bridge, near Oban, Scotland, was shared until the railway closed in the 1960s. A cantilever bridge.
- Ashton Avenue Bridge, Bristol road rail swing bridge.
- Queen Alexandra Bridge, still in road (A1231) use across the River Wear between Deptford and Southwick in Sunderland, mineral railway abandoned in 1921 after 12 years' use.
- Newhaven Harbour, East Sussex, swing bridge standard gauge harbour branch shared with main coast road to Brighton, closed about 1962.
- Runcorn Railway Bridge – rail; pedestrian bridge alongside was open until 1965.
- Cross Keys Bridge, on the Norfolk /Lincolnshire border, both sides now in use for road traffic. Swing Bridge
United States
- Alaska
- Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel - a road-rail tunnel
- California
- Florida
- Illinois
- Iowa – Illinois
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Portage Lake Lift Bridge connecting Hancock and Houghton. The world's heaviest and largest double deck vertical lift bridge. 4-lane road on upper deck, rail on lower deck (converted to trail). The lower deck was also paved so the bridge could be placed in an intermediate position to allow road traffic only.
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Second Hannibal Bridge in Kansas City, Missouri across the Missouri River. Opened in 1917, had a road deck until 1956, when another bridge was built, but the rail deck is presently in use. Evidence of the road deck is still plainly visible.
- ASB Bridge in Kansas City, Missouri, across the Missouri River. Opened in 1911, it carried vehicular traffic until 1987, when new span was built. Bridge is unique that lower part is a vertical lift drawbridge, while without interrupting traffic on the upper deck.
- Eads Bridge in St. Louis, Missouri across the Mississippi River. Opened in 1874. It carries the road traffic on the upper deck and the St. Louis MetroLink on the lower deck.
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Steel Bridge – A through truss, double lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon Carrying pedestrian, rail, automobile, bus, and MAX Light Rail, making it one of the most multi-modal bridges in the world.
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee-Arkansas
- Harahan Bridge (formerly) - Through truss bridge across the Mississippi River connecting Memphis, Tennessee to West Memphis, Arkansas. Built for two railroad tracks and two one-lane "wagonways" cantilevered outside the through truss. Vehicular traffic moved to Memphis & Arkansas Bridge in 1949; though the original decks on both "wagonways" were removed, one of them was rebuilt for pedestrian/bicycle use in 2016.
- Virginia
Uzbekistan
- Amu Darya Bridge is the first bridge between Khorezm and Karakalpakstan, opened March 2004. It only has one track with the rails embedded into tarmac, used for trains and cars, one direction at a time, and is 681 m long. It now doubles the pontoon bridge that was the only link between Khorezm and the rest of Uzbekistan.
- See above for the cross-border bridge to Afghanistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Temporary
During wartime and other emergencies, rail tracks on bridges are sometimes paved to allow road traffic to proceed. Examples include the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen bridge in Germany.
After a landslide on the Stromeferry road in Scotland in 2012, a 150m section of the parallel railway was paved with rubber tiles to allow road traffic to avoid a 250 km detour.[58]
Proposed
Under construction
- Bangladesh – Padma bridge[63] [64]
- China – Baijusi Yangtze River Bridge (8-lane highway and CRT line 18)
- China – Changtai Yangtze River Bridge (S30 and Taichang ICR)
- China – Guojiatuo Yangtze River Bridge (8-lane road and CRT line 8)
- China – Humen Road-Railway Bridge (road and Shenzhan HSR)
- China – Libu Yangtze River Road-Railway Bridge (G55 and Jingyue ICR)
- China – Lingang Yangtze River Bridge (road and Chuannan ICR)
- China – Linyu Yangtze River Bridge (road and Line 1 of Luzhou Rail Transit)
- China – Ma'anshan Yangtze River Road-Railway Bridge (6-lane highway and Chaoma ICR)
- China – Taichang Yangtze River Bridge (Ruchang Expressway and Taichang ICR)
- China – Tongling Yangtze River road-railway Bridge of G3 (G3, Hewen HSR and Tongling Rail Transit)
- Taiwan - Danjiang Bridge (light rail cross)
See also
Notes and References
- News: ROAD AND RAILWAY BRIDGE. . . Hobart, Tas. . 16 June 1937 . 1 July 2011 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
- Perth's New MetroRail Project Transit Australia April 2004 pages 120-123
- Motive Power April 2009 page 117
- https://web.archive.org/web/20201210200819/https://www.tasmaniantimes.com/2020/09/retaining-bridgewater-bridge-for-rail/ Retaining Bridgewater Bridge for Rail
- Moreton Central Sugar Mill, Nambour Continental Railway Journal issue 126 July 2001 page 214
- Grafton Bridge Roundhouse July 1982 pages 4-23
- Light Railways issue 199
- News: Fremantle Bridge. . Launceston, Tas. . 9 September 1926 . 1 July 2011 . 4 Edition: DAILY . National Library of Australia.
- Rail Graphics North Atlas p72
- Light Railways issue 295 610mm gauge
- Tocumwal Bridge Tender Announced Railway Digest September 1985 page 267
- Web site: 05 Feb 1919 - RAILWAY AFFAIRS. - Trove. Advertiser. 5 February 1919.
- News: The Paringa Bridge . . Adelaide . 28 January 1927 . 6 March 2012 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
- Road-Rail Bridge at Paringa Keeping Track issue 71 April 1974 page 1
- The Paringa Lift Span Bridge Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 726 April 1998 pages 139-142
- Australian Railway History June 2013 page 10
- https://www.railwaysafrica.com/projects/kazungula-bridge-project Kazungula bridge
- [Railway Gazette International]
- Web site: Railpage.
- Web site: Freight Rail Carriers, Rail Freight Transport & Freight Railways. www.railserve.com. 3 January 2018.
- Web site: Camrail - The Cameroon railways. Rietsch. Pierre-Noël. www.railserve.com. 3 January 2018.
- Web site: Electric railway - The town of Bechyně. as4u.cz. s.r.o.. www.mestobechyne.cz. 3 January 2018.
- https://www.railwaysafrica.com/news/kinshasa-brazzaville-ink-landmark-rail-road-bridge-project DR Congo-RoCongo
- [Railway Gazette International]
- Web site: TUNNEL UNDER SUEZ | Railways Africa . 2010-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100729113049/http://www.railwaysafrica.com/2010/07/tunnel-under-suez/ . 2010-07-29 .
- News: TROOP MOVES IN SUEZ. . . Sydney . 24 January 1954 . 6 March 2012 . 80 . National Library of Australia.
- [The Weekend Australian]
- [Light Railways]
- [Today's Railways Europe]
- (de.wikipedia.org)|url=https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kattwykbr%C3%BCcke Kattwykbrücke
- News: MOSELLE BRIDGE. . . Perth . 17 February 1945 . 6 March 2012 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
- Web site: Ghana Bridge Crossing. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/-Oa9CBUfOww . 2021-12-21 . live. nomadadventures. 19 April 2008. 3 January 2018. YouTube.
- Web site: Longest bridge span for road and rail traffic. wguinnessworldrecords.com. 16 May 2021.
- Web site: Google Maps. Google Maps. 3 January 2018.
- Web site: Google Maps. Google Maps. 3 January 2018.
- zh:(消失系列2)(臨時改道-[罕見] 行車天橋鋪路軌) 輕鐵架空工程 614線杯渡站 通往地面之軌道遷移及拆缷 (相片集) . TO KO STOP . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7OPwW1b6fI . YouTube.
- [:hu:Kiskörei Tisza-híd]
- [:hu:Türr István híd]
- News: Kautsar . Nurul Diva . Satu-satunya di Indonesia, Ini 6 Fakta Jembatan Cirahong yang Jadi Jalur Multifungsi . 23 May 2020 . merdeka.com . 7 May 2020 . id.
- News: No title. . . Burnie, Tas. . 4 October 1950 . 6 March 2012 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
- News: THE MONT CENIS RAILWAY. . . 29 October 1868 . 1 January 2013 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
- News: 2021-01-21 . 北陸新幹線、新九頭竜橋予定通り開通 2022年度レールと県道並走、福井市北東部 . ja . Fukui News . 2021-02-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121171852/https://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/1246318 . 2021-01-21.
- Web site: RAILWAYS COMMISSION (REPORT OF THE). APPENDIX TO THE JOURNALS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1930 SESSION I, D-04. 2020-07-20. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
- Web site: Historic West Coast bridge replaced . 11 December 2009. stuff.co.nz. 21 December 2009.
- News: N. Zealand Rivers Burst Into Flood Overnight. . . Perth . 28 May 1950 . 7 March 2012 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
- Web site: History of Huntly. www.huntly.net.nz. 2017-05-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20170406184931/http://www.huntly.net.nz/history.html. 2017-04-06.
- Web site: 23 June 1939 . West Coast News. Press . 2023-09-04 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
- Web site: Pekatahi Bridge (Whakatāne, N.Z.) . National Library of New Zealand . 30 July 2022.
- New Zealand Railway Observer March 2009 page 239
- News: No title. . . Qld. . 25 July 1932 . 6 March 2012 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
- [Railway Gazette International]
- http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2015/03/31/dual-purpose-s-a-rail-road-bridges/#comment-97082 RailwaysAfrica
- Web site: The Island. Lankacom PVT. LTD. www.island.lk. 3 January 2018.
- Web site: The First Road-Rail Bridge of Sri Lanka at Manampitiya - AmazingLanka.com. 3 January 2018.
- Web site: Valaichena (Oddamavadi) Road-Rail Bridge - AmazingLanka.com. 3 January 2018.
- News: CROCODILE ON BRIDGE. . . Kalgoorlie, WA . 2 January 1934 . 5 March 2012 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
- https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mare+Island+Causeway&sourceid=Mozilla-search Google Maps
- Web site: Rail road solution bypasses Stromeferry rock fall. DVV Media. UK. 3 January 2018.
- Web site: The Bank is Driving the African Continent Forward Through Financing of Regional Transport and Energy Infrastructure Programs. 19 December 2008. 3 January 2018. AllAfrica.
- https://www.au-pida.org/view-project/2014/ Congo River
- Railway Gazette International June 2012 p25
- Web site: 25 June 2013 . Preparations are underway for a new bridge in Venezuela . World Highways.com . 26 July 2024 .
- Web site: Plan to lay 80km rail line on both sides of Padma Bridge. 14 August 2009. 3 January 2018.
- http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11345902-s30.htm Dhaka – Khulna