January 5, 2020

3335 ROMANIA (Ialomiţa / Constanţa) - King Carol I Bridge


King Carol I Bridge (renamed during the communist period Anghel Saligny Bridge) was built between 1890 and 1895 to ensure the railway connection between Bucharest and Constanța. The railway section between Constanţa and Cernavodă was built in 1860, and in 1879, one year after Dobrudja became part of Romania, began the construction of the Bucharest-Feteşti section. Had to be realized only the connection between Feteşti and Cernavodă, about 21 km, including two bridges, over Borcea Branch and over the Danube. At that time the last bridge over the Danube was the Franz Josef Bridge in Novi Sad, located 955 km upstream and inaugurated in 1883.

The design and execution team was led by the Romanian engineer Anghel Saligny. The bridge over the Danube has a central opening of 190 m and another 4 openings of 140 m, next to a viaduct with 15 openings of 60 m. The bridge is 30 m above the level of the Danube waters to allow the passage of the vessels with the largest masts. The bridge over Borcea comprises 3 opening each with 140 m and a viaduct with 11 opening each with 50 m. In Borcea Island, which at that time constituted a pond, which crossed a section of 14 km of the railway, there was also a viaduct of 34 openings of 42 m.  

With the access ramps, the 4087.95 m of bridges formed, at that time, the longest bridge in continental Europe and the third longest in the world. The central opening of 190 m was the largest in continental Europe. At the end of the bridge from Cernavodă, in memory of the heroes fallen in the War of Independence, an impressive bronze monument was erected, representing two dorobanţi soldier. The dorobanţi and coats of arms were made by the French sculptor Léon Pilet (1836-1916). 

The durability of the bridge was tested by a freight train running at a speed of 60 km/h and a passenger train running at a speed of 80 km/h, coming especially from Bucharest, during which, convinced by the resistance of this great work, Anghel Saligny stood with the workers in a boat under the bridge. Anghel Saligny Bridge complex has been exclusively used for almost a century, until 1987, when the new Cernavodă Bridge complex, built next to it, was inaugurated.

About the stamp


The stamp is one of the two designed by Victor Telibaşa and issued on April 12, 2018 by Romfilatelia for Europa Stamps 2018, with the theme Bridges

About the posmark


This special cancellation was issued on April 12, 2018, to mark the first dayof the issue Bridges.

References
Anghel Saligny Bridge - Wikipedia

Senders: Mihnea Răducu
Sent from Bucharest (Bucharest / Romania) on 12.04.2018

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