Liberty Bridge, Novi Sad

Liberty Bridge
Мост слободе
Most slobode
Liberty Bridge: A view from the left bank
Coordinates 45°13′58″N 19°50′56″E / 45.23278°N 19.84889°E / 45.23278; 19.84889
Crosses Danube
Locale Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia
Official name Liberty Bridge
Preceded by Ilok–Bačka Palanka Bridge
Followed by Varadin Bridge
Characteristics
Design Cable-stayed bridge
Total length 1,312 m
Width 27.60 m
Longest span 351 m
History
Opened 7 October 2005 (2005-10-07) (Reopening)

Liberty Bridge (Serbian: Мост слободе / Most slobode) is a cable-stayed bridge on the Danube river in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia. The bridge was built in 1981 and destroyed during NATO bombardment on 3 April 1999. It was rebuilt from 2003 to 2005 and reopened on 7 October 2005. The bridge was designed by Nikola Hajdin.

History

Liberty Bridge destroyed, 1999

On 3 April 1999, at 7:55 pm local time, a rocket struck the Liberty Bridge during the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia.[1] Although the bridge gradually collapsed into the Danube River, there were no deaths thanks to a local fisherman named Velimir Teodorović who rescued nine civilians from the destroyed bridge.[2]

Rebuilding the bridge cost the city of Novi Sad 40 million euros and lasted for 2 years and 22 days. Maja Gojković, at the time mayor of Novi Sad, reopened it on 7 October 2005. The official reopening was held a few days later, with officials from the European Agency for Reconstruction present. The bridge's reconstruction and opening was a cause for political clashes; one side saying Novi Sad and its citizens should be thankful to EU for the gift of the reconstructed bridge, and the other that EU was obliged to reconstruct it anyway, as a part of war damages compensation.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Spasoje Smiljanić. Novosti: Ubijeni prvo mostovi (in Serbian). 7 March 2009. Accessed 15 June 2017.
  2. ↑ L. Preradović (April 10, 2017). "Novosti: Šetalištu ime heroja sa Dunava" (in Serbian). Retrieved July 15, 2017.

Coordinates: 45°13′58″N 19°50′56″E / 45.23278°N 19.84889°E / 45.23278; 19.84889

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