WARSAW
NEW BRIDGE ON THE VISTULA RIVER New bridge, 452 meters long, will be built in over 2 years in Warsaw. It will be the first bridge in the capital accessible only for pedestrians and cyclists.
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t will be the longest crossing of this type in Poland. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge will connect the banks of the Vistula at the level of Karowa and Stefan Okrzei streets. It will bring Praga closer to the new, green city center. The works will begin immediately, so that Warsaw residents can use it already in 2024. It will be one of the landmarks of the capital city”, said Rafał Trzaskowski, the Mayor of Warsaw. On November 23, a contract with Budimex for over PLN 120 million was signed. The company’s offer was nearly PLN 60 million cheaper than the initial investor’s cost estimate which amounted to PLN 176 million.
The single-level bridge is to be supported on seven reinforced concrete pillars. On the left bank, before the last pillar, the crossing will widen. It will then split into two ramps, which will be placed over the boulevards at the level of the Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie sidewalk. Between the ramps a two-staircase with a landing has been planned. They will be built into the boulevard terrace. The bridge will be made of steel coated with paint that imitates the color of corten. This material and coating is more suitable due to the high humidity of the river. The new structure will stretch 452 meters between the banks. It will be 127 m longer than London’s Millennium Bridge, one of the most famous structures of its kind in the world. The width of the Warsaw construction, bent in the shape of lightning, will vary. At its narrowest point it will be 6.9 m, and 16.3 m above the river. Pedestrians will cross the bridge in 6 minutes, and cyclists in 2 minutes. The bridge will be a shared space for pedestrians and cyclists, and it will also have resting places. Illumination of the structure will be provided by light sources placed in the railings. The bridge will be monitored. The bridge will connect the New Centre of Warsaw with the revitalized Old Praga. The right-bank part of the city will become closer to the university and leisure part of Śródmieście district. A pedestrian route will be created between Ząbkowska Street and Powiśle district and Krakowskie Przedmieście street. The bridge will be integrated with the existing and planned system of bicycle infrastructure on both sides of the Vistula River. A bicycle corridor connecting Praga and Targówek with Powiśle, Śródmieście, and even Wola districts will be created.
Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski signs a contract with Budimex
“We are building the New Centre of Warsaw. I want these changes to be mostly ready by the end of my term of office. Praga also deserves similar changes. That is why we are revitalizing this district. We are renovating new tenement houses and building new subway stations. We have recently commissioned the new Wybrzeże Helskie and Wybrzeże Szczecińskie streets with infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, which will be connected to the bridge route. I want Praga and downtown sides to form one functional area. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge will be the first stage of changes that await Praga in the coming years,” added the Mayor. The design of the new crossing was completed in early 2021. It was prepared by the Schuessler-Plan Engineers studio, which was selected in an international architectural competition. The form of the bridge will be aesthetically pleasing, yet resistant to the forces of nature. 18
Winter 2021
The Warsaw Voice
