Starý most (Bratislava)

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Bridge from the Petržalka side

The Starý most (literally Old Bridge, formerly Most Červenej armády, i.e. Red Army Bridge,Štefánikov most,Ferenc József híd and Franz Josef brücke) is a 460 m long bridge, the oldest still standing bridge over Danube river in Bratislava, Slovakia. The bridge includes a wooden pathway for pedestrians, a two-lane road and a pair of steel tracks, which are abandoned today.

[edit] History

Aside from short-lived wooden bridges before the 19th century, which were often damaged or destroyed by floods and frost, the first bridge in Bratislava was a pontoon bridge, which was built in 1825, standing somewhere around Koronázási domb tér or Krönungshügel platz (today's Ľudovít Štúr square). It lasted until 1891, when a new steel bridge called Franz Josephs Brücke (Franz Joseph Bridge), was opened, which was part of the railroad track Bratislava-Szombathely. It was built by Gábor Baross' order. During the first Czechoslovak republic (1918 - 1938) it was called Štefánikov most (Štefánik Bridge). During World War II the steel part of the bridge was destroyed, but stone pillars survived. After freeing Bratislava by Soviet troops in 1945, the Red Army and German prisoners-of-war built the new bridge. Although it was meant only as a temporary solution, due to the lack of funds it still stands today.

[edit] Future

A partial or complete closure for road traffic for a complete reconstruction of bridge is planned for the future. The bridge is then to be used solely for the planned high-speed tram track to Petržalka.