John Frost Bridge

Originally built between 1932 and 1935, replacing a floating bridge that had crossed the Rhine here since 1603, this was the furthest objective reached during Operation Market Garden. Lieutenant Colonel John Frost's 2nd Battalion held the northern end for four days before being overwhelmed. The bridge was then destroyed by Allied aircraft on 7 October 1944 to prevent its use by German reinforcements, and was rebuilt and reopened in 1948. It was officially renamed John Frostbrug on 17 December 1977. A memorial plaque at the northern end marks the spot where the defence was made.

The bridge was the final objective in Operation Market Garden — capturing it was intended to open the road into Germany and bypass the Siegfried Line. Its failure to be held meant the entire operation collapsed. The 1977 film A Bridge Too Far depicted the battle, but filming took place at Deventer, as Arnhem's buildings near the bridge had changed too much. Anthony Hopkins played John Frost; Richard Attenborough directed. Frost himself retired from the army in 1968 at the rank of major-general and died in 1993.

The bridge stretches 601 metres in total, with a 120-metre main arch span. Today it carries dedicated cycling lanes and forms part of EuroVelo 15, the Rhine Cycle Route — a 1,320-kilometre international cycling path running from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea.

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