Stallbron

Stallbron (Swedish: "The Stable Bridge") is an arch bridge located in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching some 20 meters over Stallkanalen it connects Riksgatan passing through the Parliament Building on Helgeandsholmen to the square Mynttorget on Stadsholmen from where Västerlånggatan extends it further south.

Stallbron was named in the late 19th century after the Royal Stables which king Gustav Vasa had built on Helgeandsholmen in the 1530s, thereafter rebuilt by Karl IX 1604-1612, and finally demolished in 1640 when the present stables were completed on Norrmalm, one km to the north.cite book
title = Stockholms gatunamn
edition = 2nd ed. | year = 1992
publisher = Kommittén för Stockholmsforskning
location = Stockholm | id = ISBN 91-7031-042-4
pages = 70-71 | chapter = Gamla stan] cite book
last = Arne | first = Dufwa
title = Stockholms tekniska historia: Trafik, broar, tunnelbanor, gator
edition = 1st ed. | year = 1985
publisher = Stockholms gatukontor and Kommittén för Stockholmsforskning
location = Uppsala | id = ISBN 91-37-08725-1
pages = 184 | chapter = Broar och viadukter: Stallbron]

Occupying one of the most central locations in Stockholm, Stallbron is, arguably, the location for the oldest bridge in the city. On its location was earlier found a wooden bridge, forming part of what was northern gate of the city, called "Norrbro" ("Northern bridge") and later "Norrbrogatan" ("Northern Bridge Street"). As an extension to Västerlånggatan it was directed more eastward, stretching diagonally across Helgeandsholmen, and leading to Gustav Adolfs torg.

When the embankments of the watercourse were completed in the early 19th century this original bridge was first replaced by a small footbridge in 1810 and then replaced by a cast iron bridge in 1843, in its turn superseded by a 7,2 m wide, vehicle capable steel bridge in 1879. This last bridge was the first to be officially called Stallbron.

Around the turn of the century when plans to relocate the parliament and the Bank of Sweden to Helgeandsholmen were being elaborated, this diagonal street was finally replaced by a street perpendicular to the northern front of the Stockholm Palace, much in accordance to the plans once drawn by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger.

The eastern part of the present bridge is a single arch steel bridge, inaugurated in November 4th 1904. It was subsequently supplemented by a parallel bridge on its west side in 1982 covering a subway connecting the Parliament Building ("Riksdagen") with the Government Offices ("Kanslihuset"). The small space between the two bridges can be seen through the gated gaps left in the street.

References

See also

* Riksbron
* Norrbro
* Vasabron
* Strömbron
* Centralbron
* List of bridges in Stockholm