Athlone Railway Bridge

The Athlone Railway Bridge, also known as the White Bridge, is a railway bridge over the River Shannon at Athlone, Ireland.^[1][2]

Athlone Railway Bridge
View of the bridge
Coordinates	53.4272°N 7.9459°W / 53.4272; -7.9459
Carries	Trains
Crosses	River Shannon
Locale	Athlone
Other name(s)	White Bridge
Heritage status	Listed in NIAH
NIAH Number	15004129
Followed by	Custume Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Viaduct
Material	Steel
Total length	542 feet (165 m)
No. of spans	6
Piers in water	4
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,600 millimetres (63 in)
History
Designer	G.W. Hemans
Constructed by	Messrs. Fox and Henderson
Construction start	c. 1850
Opened	c. 1851
Inaugurated	21 July 1851 (1851-07-21)
Location

History and Technical Details

The bridge was built in 1851^[3] and took 18 months to complete.^[4] The bridge is 542 feet (165 m) long. It was designed by G.W. Hemans, and built with a central span which can be opened to accommodate tall sailing craft. The iron-work was shipped to Limerick and then was transferred to Athlone by barge. The twelve cylindrical pillars are each 10 ft (3.0 m) in diameter.^[5] The opening central span is 120 ft (37 m) in length,^[4] but this was changed to a fixed section in 1972.^{[citation needed]}

The bridge is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage under number 15004129.^[6]