Kungsportsbron
 
– a stable connection of Stångehuvud granite in Göteborg

Kungsportsbron in central Gothenburg is built of granite from Stångehuvud. The bridge connects Kungsportsavenyn with Kungsportsplatsen. Many thousands of people move daily over the bridge. There are also bus and tram lines here. 

The bridge takes its name from Kungsporten, a city gate that was torn down in 1839. The 45 meter long and 23 meter wide bridge was designed by the architect Eugen Thorburn in the Italian renaissance style. The bridge has two arches and wide balustrades made from the reddish granite from Stångehuvud. The decoration of the bridge consists of twelve lampposts with bases shaped like candelabras.

Before the Kungsportsbron was built there was an arched stone bridge from the early 1810s. In late 1890s those governing Gothenburg realised that this bridge was too small and in poor condition.

In 1898 the demolition of the old bridge began. The comissioning of the new Kungsportsbron was at that time left to a company that was quarrying stone in Stångehuvud.

The work on building the new bridge took three years and at most the workforce amounted to 150 men. In 1901 King Oscar II inaugurated the new Kungsportsbron with its beautifully grained Stångehuvud granite.

100 years later, in 2001, the bridge and the candelabras went through extensive renovation.

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