Liberty Bridge, Novi Sad

Liberty Bridge
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 (Most slobode)
Characteristics
Design Cable-stayed bridge
Total length 1,312 m
Width 27.60 m
Longest span 351 m
History
Opened October 11, 2005 (Reopening)
Liberty Bridge: A view from the left bank

Liberty Bridge (Serbian: Мост слободе or 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 April 3, 1999. It was rebuilt 2003-2005 and reopened on October 7, 2005. The bridge was designed by Matic Banko.

Destruction

At 7:55 pm local time on April 3, 1999, 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 fisherman named Velimir Teodorović who rescued nine civilians from the destroyed bridge.[2]

Reconstruction

Rebuilding the bridge cost the city €40 million and lasted for 2 years and 22 days. Maja Gojković, the mayor of Novi Sad, reopened it on October 7, 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). March 7, 2009. Accessed June 15, 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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