One of the most beautiful and longest bridges of the Avellino - Rocchetta Sant'Antonio line is the so-called Ponte Principe, located between the Lapio stop and the Taurasi station, in the province of Avellino.
The bridge, suspended on the banks of the Calore river, was built in 1893 at the time of the construction of the line by the Italian Industrial Metal Construction Company. It was considered an exceptional work that constituted the triumph of progress. In fact, the whole viaduct is about 300 meters long and the truss rests on two arches so that each light is about 98 meters. The valley below is about 35 meters. Precisely because of its magnificence it was called "Ponte Principe". The testing of the bridge took place on September 20, 1893 between the general enthusiasm of the population of Lapio and the neighboring countries, who flocked en masse for the occasion. On 27 October of the same year the bridge was inaugurated to coincide with the opening of the first section of the railway between Avellino and Paternopoli.
The bridge suffered some damage during the Second World War and for this reason the first span encountered when coming from Lapio was modified, building an intermediate masonry pile on which a new metal girder of about 17 meters was mounted.
Translated by Google •
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