With the powerful currents produced by the Rhine, and with Roman Cologne marking the far north-eastern border of the Empire, a bridge became essential to better control the region, and even potentially expanded the empire’s reach. The very first official bridge was built around 310 AD on roughly the same location as today’s Deutz Bridge (south of the Hohenzollern bridge). The necessity for another construction arose in 1822 as the city grew. In the very same spot that the Hohenzollern Bridge stands today, a wooden bridge with imposing neo-gothic gates on either side was erected. Given its proximity to the cathedral, it was simply dubbed The Cathedral Bridge. It took until 1859 to finally open, and one of its most celebrated features was how it could be raised several times a day to allow boats and ships to pass safely underneath.