Gacka Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Gacka Bridge is located between Žuta Lokva
and Ličko Lešće
. It is 466 metres (1,528.9 ft) long, and it comprises four traffic lanes and two emergency lanes. Speed limit enforced on the bridge is 130 km/h. The bridge construction costs were estimated at 115 million Croatian kuna
.
The bridge spans Gacka
River, one of few remaining rivers in Croatia that is considered as readily potable water, along its entire length. Therefore, environmental protection of the area is of paramount importance at the bridge, bringing about very strict environmental protection measures. One of those was a construction requirement that no section of the bridge comes in contact with the riverbed or Gacka channel. This in turn resulted in a considerable span over the channel (89.53 metres (293.7 ft)).
The span across the Gacka River was executed using incremental launching, while the span across the Gacka channel, which is the longest, was executed using free cantilevering. The bridge comprises 9 spans: 54.7 metres (179.5 ft) + 89.53 metres (293.7 ft) + 55.46 metres (182 ft) + 44.52 metres (146.1 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 31.83 metres (104.4 ft).
Substructure of the bridge has been executed by Hidroelektra, Zagreb
in 2003, while the deck structure, executed in steel, has been constructed by Đuro Đaković Montaža of Slavonski Brod
by the end of 2004. The bridge is designed as two parallel structures, each carrying one carriageway of the A1 motorway. The Gacka Bridge is the only steel bridge built as a part of the motorway between Zagreb
and Split
. Selection of the steel structure instead of concrete one as in case of all other bridges along the motorway was made due to poor load bearing capacity of the local soil.
n Adriatic resorts. The traffic count is performed using analysis of motorway toll ticket sales.
Žuta Lokva
Žuta Lokva is a village in Croatia....
and Ličko Lešće
Ličko Lešće
Ličko Lešće is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D50 highway....
. It is 466 metres (1,528.9 ft) long, and it comprises four traffic lanes and two emergency lanes. Speed limit enforced on the bridge is 130 km/h. The bridge construction costs were estimated at 115 million Croatian kuna
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....
.
The bridge spans Gacka
Gacka
Gacka is a river located in the Lika region in central Croatia. Because for a large part of its course it is a subterranean river, estimates on its length vary. The overground part has undergone substantial human intervention - before it was 32 kilometers long, now it is only 11 km...
River, one of few remaining rivers in Croatia that is considered as readily potable water, along its entire length. Therefore, environmental protection of the area is of paramount importance at the bridge, bringing about very strict environmental protection measures. One of those was a construction requirement that no section of the bridge comes in contact with the riverbed or Gacka channel. This in turn resulted in a considerable span over the channel (89.53 metres (293.7 ft)).
The span across the Gacka River was executed using incremental launching, while the span across the Gacka channel, which is the longest, was executed using free cantilevering. The bridge comprises 9 spans: 54.7 metres (179.5 ft) + 89.53 metres (293.7 ft) + 55.46 metres (182 ft) + 44.52 metres (146.1 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 43.77 metres (143.6 ft) + 31.83 metres (104.4 ft).
Substructure of the bridge has been executed by Hidroelektra, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
in 2003, while the deck structure, executed in steel, has been constructed by Đuro Đaković Montaža of Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...
by the end of 2004. The bridge is designed as two parallel structures, each carrying one carriageway of the A1 motorway. The Gacka Bridge is the only steel bridge built as a part of the motorway between Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. Selection of the steel structure instead of concrete one as in case of all other bridges along the motorway was made due to poor load bearing capacity of the local soil.
Traffic volume
Traffic is regularly counted and reported by Croatian Motorways Ltd, operator of the bridge and the A1 motorway where the bridge is located, and published by Hrvatske Ceste. Substantial variations between annual (AADT) and summer (ASDT) traffic volumes are attributed to the fact that the bridge carries substantial tourist traffic to the DalmatiaDalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n Adriatic resorts. The traffic count is performed using analysis of motorway toll ticket sales.
| Gacka Bridge traffic volume | ||||
| Road | Counting site | AADT | ASDT | Notes |
| A1 | 4216 Otočac south | 11,856 | 28,953 | Between Otočac and Perušić interchanges. |