Lejonströmsbron - Sweden's oldest wooden bridge

Lejonströmsbron is a wooden bridge in Skellefteå, Sweden, crossing Skellefte River between the boroughs Sunnanå and Prästbordet, near the parish church for Skellefteå landsförsamling. Completed in 1737, Lejonströmsbron holds the distinction of being the oldest wooden bridge in Sweden. With a length of 207.5 metres (681 ft), it was, until a 230-meter long wooden bridge was built in Gimonäs in Umeå in 2006, Sweden’s longest wooden bridge.

During its first years of operation, the toll to cross the bridge was 1 öre for a walking person and 3 öre for a rider on horseback. Carts pulled by a horse had to pay 6 öre, and wagons pulled by several horses had to pay 12 öre. In 1868, a speed limit was introduced over the bridge. If a person drove or rode faster than a pedestrian, they could be fined five riksdaler. Lejonströmsbron was declared a listed building in Sweden in 1994.

The last war battles that took place on Swedish soil occurred in north Sweden under the Finnish War, also known as the 1808–09 war. On May 15, 1809, the Battle of Lejonströmsbron occurred.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons