Editing Trajan's Bridge (section)

== Destruction and remains ==

[[File:Piciorul Podului lui Traian, malul românesc (19 august 2009).jpg|thumb|upright|The ruins in 2009, surrounded by a square concrete compound which was built to protect the monument from the rise of the water level following the construction of the [[Iron Gate II Hydroelectric Power Station|Iron Gate II dam]], Romania]]

The wooden superstructure of the bridge was dismantled by Trajan's successor, [[Hadrian]], presumably in order to protect the empire from barbarian invasions from the north.<ref>{{Citation|last=Opper|first=Thorsten|title=Hadrian: Empire and Conflict|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|year=2008|isbn=9780674030954|page=[https://archive.org/details/hadrianempirecon0000oppe/page/67 67]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/hadrianempirecon0000oppe/page/67}}</ref> The superstructure was destroyed by fire.<ref name=magazin/>

The remains of the bridge reappeared in 1858 when the level of the Danube hit a record low due to the extensive drought.<ref name=magazin/> The twenty pillars were still visible.

In 1906, the [[Internationalization of the Danube River|Commission of the Danube]] decided to destroy two of the pillars that were obstructing navigation.

In 1932, there were 16 pillars remaining underwater, but in 1982 only 12 were mapped by archaeologists; the other four had probably been swept away by water. Only the entrance pillars are now visible on either bank of the Danube,<ref>[http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=20822 Romans Rise from the Waters] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205023835/http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=20822 |date=2006-12-05 }}</ref> one in Romania and one in Serbia.<ref name=magazin/>

In 1979, Trajan's Bridge was added to the ''Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance'', and in 1983 on ''[[Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance (Serbia)|Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance]]'' list, and by that it is protected by the Republic of Serbia.

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