Zilek Bridge

37°49′45″N 40°59′50″E / 37.8291°N 40.9973°E / 37.8291; 40.9973Carries1 track of the Fevzipaşa-Kurtalan railwayCrossesBatman RiverLocaleAğılköy, Diyarbakır Province and Soğuksu, Batman ProvinceOwnerTurkish State RailwaysCharacteristicsMaterialReinforced ConcreteTotal length508 m (1,667 ft)No. of spans10HistoryDesignerNOHABConstructed byTurkish State RailwaysConstruction start1939Construction end1944; 80 years ago (1944)^[1]Location

The Zilek Bridge is a 508 m (1,667 ft) long Bowstring-arch bridge that crosses the Batman River in southeastern Turkey. Located between the cities Diyarbakır and Batman, the bridge carries the Fevzipaşa-Kurtalan railway.

The bridge was constructed between 1939-44 as part of the extension of the railway from Diyarbakır to Kurtalan. When first completed, it was the second longest railway bridge in the country after the Karkamış Bridge. The bridge has been replaced by a new 1,430 m (4,690 ft) long viaduct that was completed by the end of 2017. The old Zilek bridge has been flooded by the Ilısu Reservoir.^[2]

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