Work has begun on Belgrade's oldest bridge

As can be seen in the available footage released in recent days, workers are removing the most worn-out parts of the bridge structure, which appear to be preparatory works ahead of a detailed reconstruction. After the renovation, the bridge is expected to gain a new life and a new function&mdash;as a pedestrian thoroughfare.The workers, as visible in the footage, are removing damaged elements on the bridge, which during the renovation will be thoroughly repaired, reinforced, and made suitable for pedestrian traffic.It is planned that the entrance to the bridge from the New Belgrade side will be in the area of the gravel and concrete base, which has already begun to be removed. In its place, according to announcements by Mali, a landscaped park area is planned.After the renovation, the plan is for the bridge to be greened, with small rest areas at certain sections and observation points. This is what is suggested by the currently available renderings of the bridge&rsquo;s future appearance.A capital phoenix over Belgrade&rsquo;s riversThe old railway bridge, the oldest crossing over Belgrade&rsquo;s rivers, turned 140 years old last year. Its construction began in 1882 and was completed two years later, when the Main Railway Station was officially opened in August 1884 and railway traffic started.In its first decades, the railway bridge was jointly owned by Serbia and Austria-Hungary. It was first destroyed at the beginning of World War I. The pillars and foundations remained intact, so it was soon rebuilt, but the enemy damaged it again during the war. The occupiers made the bridge operational in 1916, also building a separate track to Topčider. However, parts of the structure fell into the Sava River again on November 1, 1918, during their retreat. The bridge was made operational again in the early 1920s.Even that did not last long. In the first days of the April War, units of our army destroyed all bridges in the capital to slow the Nazi advance. The Germans, however, quickly entered the city and provisionally restored the bridge. A year later, construction of a parallel downstream bridge began to increase traffic capacity. The Germans did not manage to complete it, as Allied bombing occurred in 1944. The old bridge&rsquo;s structure was particularly damaged, so in the postwar period the plan was initially to make the less-damaged downstream bridge operational. It was eventually decided to restore the old bridge, using parts of the downstream bridge&rsquo;s structure for the renovation.It remained the only railway bridge over the Sava in Belgrade until the construction of a new double-track railway bridge, which began in 1974 and was completed five years later.

Work has begun on Belgrade's oldest bridge

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