Römerstraße

The Europabrücke stands in the Wipptal south of Innsbruck, where it carries the Brenner motorway A13 190 metres above the Sill river. The bridge links the communities of Patsch and Schönberg, with the Europakapelle and a park-and-ride lot on its western side. Beneath the span lie the powerhouse of the Sillwerk and the railway line of the Brennerbahn. On the valley flanks the older Brennerstrasse B182 and the route of the Via Raetia, the Roman road to Italy, once climbed the same slope. The bridge is worth the journey for its record-breaking scale. When completed in 1963 it was Europe’s highest bridge and its central pier, at 146.5 metres, the tallest concrete support in the world. The design emerged after local people persuaded planners to shift the motorway across the valley, adding the span that became the Europabrücke. The structure still holds the title of Austria’s highest bridge. Visitors find a 815-metre-long viaduct of steel and concrete. The main section rests on five tapering piers, the tallest of which rises 146.5 metres above the valley floor. The deck carries six lanes of traffic plus narrow fenced footpaths on each side. Beneath the bridge the Sillwerk buildings and the Brennerbahn tracks are clearly visible. At the western end the Europakapelle marks the spot where the Roman Via Raetia began its climb toward Italy.