Gazela Bridge
Encyclopedia
Gazela is the most important bridge
in Belgrade
, Serbia
, across the Sava river
. It is a part of the city highway and it lies on European route E75
, on the highway passing through the wider city center, connecting Belgrade with Niš
to the south, and Novi Sad
to the north. It was designed by a group of engineers led by Milan Đurić and built in 1966-1970, by Belgrade company Mostogradnja
.
The bridge is 332 m long and 27.5 m wide, with three lane
s in each direction, and total road width of 21.8 m. It is constructed as a combination of beam
and arch
, with shallow-frame beam
and diagonal steel-concrete abutment
s. The maximum height of the span centre is 22.8 m at median water level.
The bridge is the chief connection line between city center and New Belgrade, and also carries the transit traffic on E70
and E75
highways through Belgrade. As such, it is extremely overloaded and a cause of frequent congestion, as it leans on the main Belgrade's Mostar interchange. On average over 160,000 vehicles cross it every day (notwithstanding the impeded flow), even though it was designed to be used by 40,000. The long overdue reconstruction of the bridge is scheduled for the end of 2007, and the relief of congestion problem is expected when the Belgrade bypass
(scheduled for 2008) and an additional bridge over Ada Ciganlija
are completed. The residents of Belgrade fear that the reconstruction-related bridge closure will worsen the already difficult problem of traffic congestion in the city, especially since it will coincide with Pančevo bridge
reconstruction, scheduled for the spring of 2008. The authorities are trying to reassure the public that the bridge will not be closed until the bypass (already behind the schedule) is completed, but the experts and the public remain suspicious.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, across the Sava river
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
. It is a part of the city highway and it lies on European route E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
, on the highway passing through the wider city center, connecting Belgrade with Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
to the south, and Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
to the north. It was designed by a group of engineers led by Milan Đurić and built in 1966-1970, by Belgrade company Mostogradnja
Mostogradnja
Mostogradnja is the leading Serbian bridge building company, with headquarters in Belgrade and daughter companies in Podgorica, Montenegro and Banjaluka, Bosnia and Herzegovina and a representative office in Moscow, Russia...
.
The bridge is 332 m long and 27.5 m wide, with three lane
Lane
A lane is a part of the roadway within a road marked out for use by a single line of vehicles in such a way as to control and guide drivers for the purpose of reducing traffic conflicts. Most public roads have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by Lane markings...
s in each direction, and total road width of 21.8 m. It is constructed as a combination of beam
Beam bridge
Beam bridges are the most simple of structural forms being supported by an abutment at each end of the deck. No moments are transferred through the support hence their structural type is known as simply supported....
and arch
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
, with shallow-frame beam
Beam (structure)
A beam is a horizontal structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting bending. The bending force induced into the material of the beam as a result of the external loads, own weight, span and external reactions to these loads is called a bending moment.- Overview...
and diagonal steel-concrete abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s. The maximum height of the span centre is 22.8 m at median water level.
The bridge is the chief connection line between city center and New Belgrade, and also carries the transit traffic on E70
E70 in Serbia
The part of the European route E70 in Serbia spans approximately . It crosses the country from east to west, starting at Batrovci border crossing with Croatia and ending with Vatin border crossing with Romania...
and E75
E75 in Serbia
The part of the European route E75 in Serbia spans approximately . It crosses the country from north to south, starting at Horgoš border crossing with Hungary and ending with Preševo border crossing with Republic of Macedonia...
highways through Belgrade. As such, it is extremely overloaded and a cause of frequent congestion, as it leans on the main Belgrade's Mostar interchange. On average over 160,000 vehicles cross it every day (notwithstanding the impeded flow), even though it was designed to be used by 40,000. The long overdue reconstruction of the bridge is scheduled for the end of 2007, and the relief of congestion problem is expected when the Belgrade bypass
Belgrade bypass
Belgrade City Road Bypass or simply Belgrade Bypass is a beltway, currently under construction, around the city of Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia....
(scheduled for 2008) and an additional bridge over Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija , colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The name can also refer to the adjoining artificial Sava Lake and its beach...
are completed. The residents of Belgrade fear that the reconstruction-related bridge closure will worsen the already difficult problem of traffic congestion in the city, especially since it will coincide with Pančevo bridge
Pancevo Bridge
Pančevo Bridge or colloquially Pančevac is the only bridge over the Danube in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
reconstruction, scheduled for the spring of 2008. The authorities are trying to reassure the public that the bridge will not be closed until the bypass (already behind the schedule) is completed, but the experts and the public remain suspicious.