Considered as an important threshold in Turkey's architectural and engineering history, Birecik Bridge stands out as one of the symbolic structures of the infrastructure policies of the Republican era with its structural qualities and contributions to regional development. Within its historical framework, this study explores the architectural and structural characteristics of the Birecik Bridge—constructed in 1956 over the Euphrates River—which stands as one of Turkey’s longest reinforced concrete highway bridges. The study combines a literature review, analysis of archival documents and on-site field observations. The findings indicate that the bridge employs a hybrid structural system, featuring a reinforced concrete arch on its eastern side and a girder configuration on its western side, spanning a total length of 720 m with a deck width of 10 m, thereby representing an engineering achievement that challenged the technical boundaries of its time. The contribution of the structure to regional transportation, its impact on rural-urban integration and its symbolic role in the development policies of the Republican era are emphasized. The bridge's segmental arches, Gerber articulated girders and different bracing solutions represent early applications of long-span reinforced concrete bridge technology in Turkey. The study also provides protection and strengthening recommendations for cracks, reinforcement corrosion and material deterioration due to heavy traffic load and environmental impacts. The restoration strategy emphasizes the documentation of the original structural elements, material-based intervention methods and the integration of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. In conclusion, the Birecik Bridge, with its technical innovations and socio-economic impacts, is a key example for understanding the evolution of long-span reinforced concrete bridges in Turkey, while its conservation approaches provide a methodological framework that can be transferred to similar historical engineering heritage.

Considered as an important threshold in Turkey's architectural and engineering history, Birecik Bridge stands out as one of the symbolic structures of the infrastructure policies of the Republican era with its structural qualities and contributions to regional development. Within its historical framework, this study explores the architectural and structural characteristics of the Birecik Bridge—constructed in 1956 over the Euphrates River—which stands as one of Turkey’s longest reinforced concrete highway bridges. The study combines a literature review, analysis of archival documents and on-site field observations. The findings indicate that the bridge employs a hybrid structural system, featuring a reinforced concrete arch on its eastern side and a girder configuration on its western side, spanning a total length of 720 m with a deck width of 10 m, thereby representing an engineering achievement that challenged the technical boundaries of its time. The contribution of the structure to regional transportation, its impact on rural-urban integration and its symbolic role in the development policies of the Republican era are emphasized. The bridge's segmental arches, Gerber articulated girders and different bracing solutions represent early applications of long-span reinforced concrete bridge technology in Turkey. The study also provides protection and strengthening recommendations for cracks, reinforcement corrosion and material deterioration due to heavy traffic load and environmental impacts. The restoration strategy emphasizes the documentation of the original structural elements, material-based intervention methods and the integration of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. In conclusion, the Birecik Bridge, with its technical innovations and socio-economic impacts, is a key example for understanding the evolution of long-span reinforced concrete bridges in Turkey, while its conservation approaches provide a methodological framework that can be transferred to similar historical engineering heritage.