Deza River Railway Viaduct
Deza River Railway Viaduct
Viaducto Ferrocarril Rio Deza
Silleda, Galicia, Spain
348 feet high / 106 meters high
492 foot span / 150 meter span
2012
The Rio Deza Railway Viaduct in the Galicia region of Spain was once the second tallest high speed rail bridge in the world on a rail line that had the 3 tallest high speed railway bridges ever built when it opened in 2012. Similar to Germany’s Rombachtal viaduct with a wishbone shaped center span, the massive Deza concrete viaduct is 348 feet (106 mtrs) high with a main span of 492 feet (150 mtrs). A wishbone strut support was also used on the Viaducto de O Eixo about 12 miles (19 kms) to the south on the same rail line. The design has also become a signature of several Spanish motorway bridges including the Viaducto Rio Narón on the A6, the Rio Seco on the A7 and the Barranca Ramblazo on the A23 west of Valencia. You can see a good short on the construction of the Deza bridge here: http://us.videos.starmedia.com/video/iLyROoafJwfr.html.
The Rio Deza bridge is one of several tall high speed rail bridge on the line between Santiago de Compostela and Ourense. Near the north end of the line about 10 miles (16 kms) south of Santiago de Compostela is what was once the tallest high speed rail bridge in the world over the river Ulla at 384 feet (117 mtrs). Also in that region is the Viaducto del Sáramo which rises about 262 feet (80 mtrs). The Viaducto de Covas is 295 feet (90 mtrs) high while the aforementioned O Eixo is at least 279 feet (85 mtrs) high. Just 6 miles (10 kms) northwest of Ourense is the 328 foot (100 mtrs) high crossing of the deep Barbantiño gully 3,858 feet (1,176 mtrs) wide. Just downstream of the Barbantiño rail bridge is the new Viaducto de Barbantiño AG-53 Autostrada bridge with three huge spans of 607 feet (185 mtrs).
Deza River Viaduct satellite image with high speed rail line approaches under construction.