Scena suot la punt

This arch belongs to the new Punt ota – although it is in fact not that new. The bridge was built between 1906 and 1908. That was the heyday of viaduct construction in Graubünden, when the canton was being opened up by the railway – known today as the Rhaetian Railway. It was a period that saw the construction of several spectacular structures, such as the iconic Landwasser Viaduct, to traverse the gorges, valleys, and mountains. In 1908, the railway reached Pontresina. Consequently, improved road connections were needed from the station up to the village and its hotels. To accommodate the horse-drawn carriages that collected guests at the station, a second bridge was built across the whitewater gorge, this one wider than the Punt ota veglia, to enable vehicles to cross easily

Isn’t it impressive to stand beneath the stone arch of a bridge and see how precisely the wedge-shaped stones are aligned, despite their different shapes and sizes? For centuries, the classic stone arch bridge was the only type of bridge that could span large distances. The key strength of these bridges lies in how they handle force: all major loads acting on the structure are compressive forces, which are transferred from stone to stone, eventually dissipating vertically into the ground. This makes arch bridges exceptionally strong, able to bear heavy loads, very stable, and free from vibration.

One of the disadvantages of arch bridge construction is that a dummy construction framework must first be erected, an auxiliary wooden structure that supports the unfinished construction. This process is time-consuming and costly, but it is well known that an arch bridge only becomes load-bearing once the keystone has been placed in position. This method of construction has been used since ancient times and remained the standard up until the 20th century.

Many stone arch bridges were built in Graubünden around the turn of the century as part of the construction of the spectacular Rhaetian Railway network. Among these, the Landwasser Viaduct (completed in 1902), is today world-famous. Passengers on their way to the Engadine cross this iconic structure as part of their breathtaking journey. Other impressive masterpieces include the Wiesener Viaduct near Davos (1909) and the Brusio Spiral Viaduct (1908). A train journey on the RhB (Rhaetian Railway), for example along the UNESCO World Heritage route, is highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience these architectural symbols of Swiss engineering up close.

And suddenly, the railway stopped here

Pontresina has had a railway station since 1908, when the ‘dead-end track’ line from Samedan began operating. By that time, trains had already been running on the Chur–St. Moritz line for five years. In 1910, the Bernina Railway from Tirano was added, and suddenly Pontresina became easily accessible from both the north and the south. Tourism soon began to flourish, with visitors coming from near and far, transferring to horse-drawn carriages at the station and crossing the newly built Punt ota bridge to reach the various hotels. It was the Belle Époque, and 1907 also saw the opening of the Muottas Muragl Railway, the first mountain railway in the Engadine.
Today, Pontresina boasts no fewer than six railway stations, all of which serve as starting points for exploring the numerous attractions of the beautiful Bernina Glaciers adventure area.

In 1964, the new Punt ota bridge was rebuilt and extended as part of the construction of Pontresina’s bypass road. This road runs parallel to the whitewater gorge and under the Punt ota, but instead of passing through a graceful round arch, as it does at the Punt ota, it goes through a minimalist rectangle. The extension consists of a simple beam bridge with a reinforced concrete slab.

A steel bridge as the new landmark?

Unlike arch bridges, beam and suspension bridges are subject to high tensile force. Steel is the ideal material for this, as it absorbs tensile stress better than any other product. This is why concrete is reinforced with steel bars; it is the only way to build modern bridges and building ceilings that will last. Steel is also elastic, bending slightly under load and then returning to its original shape once this load is gone.
You can experience this yourself on the nearby canyon skywalk, where the subtle movement of the steel beams is perceptible. This latest bridge in Pontresina is the ideal starting point for exploring the Ova da Bernina whitewater gorge, and today complements the Punt ota as one of Pontresina’s defining landmarks. How many times have you walked across it