Nový Most

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Nový Most
Nový Most, from Bratislava Castle
Crosses	Danube
Locale	Bratislava
Design	asymmetric, double-decked cable stayed bridge
Longest span	303 metres (990 ft)
Total length	430.8 metres (1,413 ft)
Width	21.0 metres (69 ft)
Height	84.60 metres (277.6 ft) (pylon)
Beginning date of construction	1967
Completion date	1972
Opening date	August 26, 1972
Coordinates	48°08′18″N 17°06′17″E / 48.1384, 17.104581 (Nový Most)Coordinates: 48°08′18″N 17°06′17″E / 48.1384, 17.104581 (Nový Most)

Nový Most (New Bridge; formerly Most SNP - Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising) is a road bridge over the Danube in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the 26th and the lowest member of World Federation of Great Towers. It is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge in category with one pylon and with one cable-stayed plane. It is the only bridge in the world that is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

It is an asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge with a main span length of 303 metres. Its steel construction is suspended from steel cables, connected on the Petržalka side to two pillars. The total length of the bridge is 430.8 metres, its width 21 metres, and it weighs 7537 tonnes.

Bratislava Castle and St. Martin's Cathedral, as seen from Nový Most

A special attraction is its flying saucer-shaped structure housing a restaurant, called "UFO" (since 2005; previously called Bystrica), on the bridge's 84.6 metre pylon. One can reach the restaurant using an elevator situated in the left pillar. The restaurant offers a good view over Bratislava. In the right pillar there is an emergency staircase with 430 stairs.

Nový Most has 4 upper lanes for cars, and lanes for bicycles and pedestrians beneath the roadway on both sides.

[edit] Construction

It was built between 1967 and 1972 under a project managed by A. Tesár, J. Lacko, and I. Slameň. It officially opened on August 26, 1972, as the second bridge over the Danube in Bratislava. A significant section of the Old Town below Bratislava Castle, which included nearly all of the Jewish quarter, had to be demolished; on the other hand, the bridge improved access between Petržalka and the rest of the city. It also revealed parts of the historical city walls.