Dominating the landscape on the eastern side of the city, the Fredrikstad Bridge, with its distinctive arch, has become a landmark for Fredrikstad. The silver bow-shaped bridge, which was opened in August 1957, is also a vital link between the Old Town and the new one. Spanning the Glomma about 2km from where the river meets the Oslo fjord, the bridge is an impressive 824m long and 40m tall.

In March 2004 a 2.5m ’suicide fence’ was affixed to the bridge. Up to 3 people every year used to take their lives by jumping from the bridge, and it is believed that many more have tried. The fence, which stretches 400m down on each side of the bridge, was an attempt to put a stop to these sad statistics.

The bridge is part of the technical heritage of Norway, and as such was listed by the Riksantikvaren (Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Norway) in 2008, together with the roundabout on the east side – the first roundabout in Norway to acquire this status.

You can see old black-and-white photos of the bridge being built here www.demokraten.no/bildeserier/article2923408.ece