Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni

For other uses of this and similar names, see Eiffel (disambiguation).

Eiffel Bridge
Coordinates
Crosses	Prut
Locale	between Ungheni and Ungheni, Iași
Preceded by	A bridge built in 1874
History
Designer	Gustave Eiffel
Opened	April 21 [O.S. April 9] 1877

The Eiffel Bridge, ca 1880

The Eiffel Bridge (Romanian: Podul Eiffel) is a bridge over Prut and a checkpoint between Moldova and Romania. The bridge is located between Ungheni and Ungheni, Iași.

History

On May 18 [O.S. May 6] 1872 a Russian diplomat agent, Ivan Alekseevich Zinov'ev and Gheorghe Costaforu signed a rail junction convention, which was ratified on January 21 [O.S. January 9] 1873. Iaşi-Ungheni railway was opened on August 1, 1874. The railway Chişinău-Corneşti-Ungheni (built 1871-1875) was opened on June 1, 1875 by the Russian Empire in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). Ungheni customs was established in 1875 after putting into operation the Chişinău-Ungheni-Iaşi railroad. The railway Chişinău-Corneşti was already opened in 1873.

In 1876 after the spring flooding of the river Prut the railway bridge that linked Bessarabia and Romania was almost destroyed. Railway Department invited Gustave Eiffel in Bessarabia (Moldova) to redesign and rebuild the bridge. The bridge was opened on April 21 [O.S. April 9] 1877, just three days before the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). On April 23 [O.S. April 11] 1877, the Russia's troops entered Romania at Ungheni and next day declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Nowadays it is still a strategically positioned construction under the supervision of frontier guard.

In the nearby city of Iaşi, Gustave Eiffel also built Grand Hotel Traian (1882).

See also

• Moldovan–Romanian relations

External links

• Eiffel's bridge in Moldova
• Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova
• (Romanian) Caile Ferate Moldovene, la rascruce de drumuri
• (Romanian) [ Tripla semnificaţie a zilei de 9 Mai]