Almö Bridge
Almö Bridge Almöbron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 58°03′35″N 11°47′06″E / 58.059722°N 11.785°E |
| Crossed | Askerö fjord |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch Bridge |
| Clearance below | 41 meters |
| History | |
| Contracted lead designer | Krupp |
| Constructed by | Krupp and Skånska Cementgjuteriet |
| Inaugurated | 15 June 1960 |
| Collapsed | 01:30 AM 18 January 1980 |
| Replaced | Car ferry |
| Location | |
 | |
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (April 2024) |
The Almö Bridge (Swedish: Almöbron), inaugurated in 1960, was built to connect the island of Tjörn to the Swedish mainland. Built after a suggestion from Krupp, and on a budget, the arch bridge type was cheap but it also had narrow roadways, forcing heavy traffic to slow down. Below it was the busy shipping lane leading to the town of Uddevalla, which sported a large shipyard and bulk harbor at the time.
Collapse[edit]
_Star_Clipper_raserade_Alm%C3%B6bron.JPG)
The Almö bridge collapsed at 01:30 a.m. on 18 January 1980, when the bulk carrier MS Star Clipper struck the bridge arch, collapsing the main span. The roadway landed on top of the ship, destroying the ship's bridge but causing no casualties. The loss of the bridge made radio communication difficult, as the Swedish pilot had to use a handheld VHF radio. Because of the ice the ship was unable to launch a boat to get to shore and warn motorists as fog descended on the area. Eight people died that night as they drove over the edge until the road on the Tjörn side was closed 40 minutes after the accident. The mainland side had been closed by a lorry driver who had slowly driven up the bridge in the fog, noticing the railing was missing; he stopped his lorry ten meters ahead of the missing roadway.
The bridge today[edit]
The large arch foundations still exist but the bridge was never rebuilt. Instead the Tjörn Bridge, a new cable-stayed bridge, was constructed in 17 months and inaugurated the following year. This bridge type eliminated the collision risk that had doomed its predecessor and also had wider lanes for road traffic.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Printed Sources[edit]
- Brodin, Sune, Tjörnbron (Tjörn bridge), 1984 Vägverket Borlänge, ISBN 91-7810-123-9
External links[edit]
- Tjörnbrokatastrofen (radio documentary in Swedish)
- 1980 road incidents
- Arch bridges
- Bridges completed in 1960
- Bridge disasters caused by collision
- Bridge disasters in Sweden
- Former buildings and structures in Sweden
- Road incidents in Sweden
- Demolished buildings and structures in Sweden
- Maritime incidents in Sweden
- Former bridges
- 1960 establishments in Sweden
- Building and structure collapses in 1980
- 1980s disasters in Sweden
- 1980 disasters in Europe
- January 1980 events in Europe