Veresk bridge

The Veresk bridge is a bridge in the north of Iran. The bridge was constructed mostly by Germans  by leadership of an Austrian engineer named Walter Inger, and is one of the masterpieces of the Danish engineering firm Kampsax, (consisting of mostly German and Austrian engineers).

It was constructed during the reign of Reza Shah. During World War II, it was known as the Pol-e Piroozi (The bridge of victory). The bridge stands at 110 m (360 ft) tall and its arch measures 66 m (217 ft) long. The bridge serves the Trans-Iranian Railway network in Northern Iran and connects the railway between Tehran and the Caspian Sea region. It is located in Mazandaran’s Veresk district of Savad Kooh county.

It’s been said after finishing the bridge people had a fear that the train wouldn’t be able to pass the narrow bridge and that it will break. As a result the engineer and his family stood under it when the first train passed the bridge (local accounts claim that Reza Shah had asked them to do so anyway).

Underneath the bridge is a memorial structure built in memory of all the construction workers who lost their life in the course of building the Veresk Bridge and its nearby tunnels. The Chief Engineer, Austrian Walter Inger, who wanted to be buried at Veresk area after his death, is also buried in this location.

Also under the bridge is an underground tunnel for which trains pass through after crossing the bridge and gradually dropping altitude and before pulling into the train station. In the course of the war Reza Shah was asked by Hitler to blow up all tunnels and bridges, including the Veresk Bridge, on Iran’s railway lines in order to delay the transfer of goods and reinforcement troops to the north for the Russians. He furthermore promised to replace and reconstruct all of such demolished structures following the Germans’ victory in the war. Reza Shah rejected the request.

average trains connecting Tehran to Gorgan or Sari pass over this bridge 4 times a day.