Mala Rijeka Viaduct

The Mala Rijeka Viaduct
Official name	Мост изнад Мале Ријеке/Most iznad Male Rijeke
Carries	1 rail track
Crosses	Valley of the Mala Rijeka River
Designer	Ljubomir Jevtovic (Engineers: Milivoje Kovacevic, Milorad Lukovic and Milorad Markovic)
Design	Truss bridge
Material	Steel, concrete
Total length	498.8 m (1,636 ft)
Height	200.0 m (656 ft)
Longest span	150.8 m (495 ft)
Constructed by	Mostogradnja
Construction begin	1969
Construction end	1973
Opened	1973
Coordinates	42°33′09″N 19°23′15″E

The Mala Rijeka Viaduct is a viaduct on the Belgrade - Bar railway, located some 20 km north of Podgorica, Montenegro.

Overview

The project was started in 1969 and was completed in 1973. Viaduct is 498.8 metres (1,636 ft) long and rises 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.

It is the tallest railway viaduct in the world (this record height was previously held by the Fades viaduct in France). Until 2001 it was the tallest railway bridge, but since the Beipanjiang River Railway Bridge (an arch bridge) was constructed it is the second tallest. After construction of Chenab River Railway Bridge is finished in 2015 it will be the third tallest railway bridge, however it will still remain the tallest railway viaduct.

Construction

36,000 m³ of concrete and 100,000 tons 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 base jump from the bridge (on September 11, 2008).

See also

• List of world's tallest bridges

External links

• Mala Rijeka Bridge at Structurae
• Cedric Dumont base jumping from the viaduct