s ▁of ▁the ▁destroyed ▁vi ad uct ▁to ▁a ▁massive ▁concrete ▁pill ar ▁placed ▁on ▁the ▁valley ▁floor ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁extrem ities . ▁The ▁second ▁bridge ▁became ▁oper ational ▁in ▁time ▁for ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁blow n ▁up ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁by ▁the ▁retre ating ▁German ▁army , ▁keen ▁to ▁imp ede ▁the ▁advance ▁of ▁Ang lo - American ▁forces . ▁ ▁The ▁gap ▁blow n ▁in ▁the ▁vi ad uct ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁army ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁was ▁wider ▁than ▁the ▁gap ▁blow n ▁in ▁it ▁by ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁army ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁bridge ▁remained ▁important ▁for ▁deliver ing ▁strateg ic ▁supplies ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁rep a ired ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁army . ▁This ▁time ▁the ▁repair ▁last ed ▁till ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁The ▁replacement ▁structure ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁was ▁again ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁inter im ▁solution , ▁though ▁this ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁solution ▁that ▁would ▁last ▁for ▁fifty ▁years . ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁re building ▁the ▁old ▁elegant ▁brick ▁vi ad uct ▁was ▁rejected ▁on ▁cost ▁grounds . ▁Nevertheless , ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁vi ad uct ▁remained ▁struct ur ally ▁depend able . ▁The ▁large ▁concrete ▁pill ar ▁was ▁retained ▁at ▁the ▁mid point ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁surv iving ▁subs ▁of ▁the ▁vi ad uct ▁and ▁new ▁single ▁track ▁tr uss ▁bridge ▁sections ▁were