Žeželj Bridge

Žeželj Bridge
Žeželjev most
Жежељев мост
Žeželj Bridge in February 2018
Coordinates 45°15′43.7″N 19°51′36.9″E / 45.262139°N 19.860250°E / 45.262139; 19.860250Coordinates: 45°15′43.7″N 19°51′36.9″E / 45.262139°N 19.860250°E / 45.262139; 19.860250
Crosses Danube
Locale Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia
Official name Žeželj Bridge
Named for Branko Žeželj
Maintained by Serbian Railways Infrastructure
Preceded by Road–Railway Bridge
Followed by Beška Bridge
Characteristics
Design Tied-arch bridge
Material Steel
Trough construction Steel
Pier construction Reinforced concrete
Total length 474 m
Width 32 m
Traversable? Yes
Longest span 219 m
No. of spans 2
Piers in water 1
No. of lanes 2
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks 2
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrified Yes
History
Designer Branko Žeželj (original bridge)
Aleksandar Bojović (new bridge)
Construction start 1957
Construction end 1961
Opened 1961
Rebuilt 2012–2018

Žeželj Bridge (Serbian: Žeželjev most / Жежељев мост) is a tied-arch bridge on Danube river in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia. The bridge was originally built in 1961, only to be destroyed during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The newly constructed bridge was opened in 2018.

History

The original Žeželj Bridge (377 meters long) was a through arch bridge built between 1957 and 1961. It was designed by the prominent Yugoslavian civil engineer Branko Žeželj and constructed by Mostogradnja.[1][2] It connected the city area of Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. During its existence, it served as part of international railway line and as transit road through Novi Sad.[2]

Original bridge damaged in 1999 (before total destruction several days later)

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the bridge was bombed 12 times. On 23 April 1999, it was finally destroyed, thus way cutting railway transport between Belgrade and Subotica, i.e. Serbia and Hungary.[3] During the NATO bombing, all three large bridges on Danube river in Novi Sad (Žeželj Bridge, Varadin Bridge and Liberty Bridge) were completely destroyed.

In 2000, a temporary Road–Railway Bridge was constructed near the Žeželj Bridge, built to serve as replacement of Žeželj Bridge until the new one is being constructed. Over the years, the construction of new Žeželj Bridge was postponed several times.[4]

In April 2012, the construction works for the new bridge in the same place officially started.[5] The main designer of the new bridge is Aleksandar Bojović, while the contractor was an international consortium JV Azvi - Taddei – Horta Coslada.[6] A new bridge is visually similar to the destroyed bridge, except that the arches are made from steel and not prestressed concrete.[7] The bridge consists of two arches, the larger being 219 meters long and 42 meters high and the smaller 177 meters long and 34 meters high.[7]

In October 2017, the arches of Žeželj Bridge were connected after five years of construction and after eighteen years since the previous bridge was destroyed.[8] As of October 2017, the construction works cost was 51.71 million euros.[8] In April 2018, the bridge was completed and regular rail transport established.[9] The vehicle transit was established on September 1st 2018.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mijatović, Vuk (15 July 2013). "Branko Žeželj: Čovek koji je ukrotio beton". novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 Tucakov, Joza (17 November 2010). "Novi Sad i njegovi rušeni mostovi". b92.net (in Serbian). Politika. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Pre 15 godina srušen Žeželjev most". b92.net (in Serbian). Dnevnik. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Žeželjev most gradi se na leto". b92.net (in Serbian). Beta, Tanjug. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Počela izgradnja novog Žeželjevog mosta". novosti.rs (in Serbian). Tanjug. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  6. 1 2 Kovačević, Snežana (25 January 2018). "Kako će se zvati Žeželjev most". politika.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 Čonkaš, Z. (20 October 2017). "Sastavljen Žeželjev most na Dunavu kod Novog Sada". blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. 1 2 Ковачевић, Снежана (22 October 2017). "Поново пешице преко Жежељевог моста". politika.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "NS: Napokon saobraćaj preko novog mosta - 160 km/h". b92.net (in Serbian). Tanjug. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
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