Kossuth Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Kossuth Bridge or Kossuth híd was a bridge
that stood over the river Danube
in Budapest
from 1945 to 1960.
After the Soviet Red Army took Budapest in early 1945, they found all the city's seven bridges had been demolished by retreating Nazi troops. Soon, a pontoon bridge
was created for military logistical purposes but its capacity proved insufficient and presence of winter icepacks on the Danube made it impossible to maintain a permanent link across the 290-metre-wide river with a floating bridge.
A decision was made to build a spar-type bridge in record time. The total destruction of industry and chronic lack of raw materials in Hungary
required cannibalizing several dozen oil wells in the oil fields of Zala
county for the construction project. Steel piping was pulled from the depths and used as the main spars for the bridge. It is said some gunbarrels from abandoned and destroyed WWII battle tanks were also incorporated in the structure. Because of the tight schedule and design restrictions dictated by available substandard materials, the bridge was built with numerous concrete
pylon
s, with smallish, 30 and 40-metre-wide openings between them. The construction project was entirely carried out by Soviet military engineering troops, with some 15 fatalities due to hurry and harsh work conditions.
By the time the bridge was completed, army shipping requirements had decreased and a change in Soviet foreign policy allowed its control and use to fall into the hands of the Hungarian people. The permanent link, built right at the southern corner of Budapest's vast Parliament Building, was often referred to as the "Link of Life", especially in the leftist press. Indeed, for some time it was the only connection between the two halves of the city, Buda and Pest. Officially inaugurated as the "Lajos Kossuth
Bridge", it was named after the patriotic leader of Hungary's 1848-49 revolution.
Due to its hasty construction, the Kossuth bridge had several restrictions on use. It was used mainly for pedestrian crossing. Heavier trucks could cross at 20 km/h and in only one direction at a time. During sessions of parliament, it was sometimes shut down for noise and security reasons.
In the years following WWII some of the demolished Danube bridges were rebuilt, easing the traffic situation. The Kossuth Bridge gradually became a maintenance problem and its low span more of an obstacle to shipping on the River Danube. It was finally shut down and dismantled in 1960, but not replaced. Nowadays only two plaques
embedded in the riverbanks remind visitors of the bridge's former location. It is thought that a bridge will be erected in the same place around 2020 as part of the long-term Budapest infrastructure modernization programme.
A photo of the Kossuth bridge with Parliament in the background can be seen here.
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...
that stood over the river Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
from 1945 to 1960.
After the Soviet Red Army took Budapest in early 1945, they found all the city's seven bridges had been demolished by retreating Nazi troops. Soon, a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
was created for military logistical purposes but its capacity proved insufficient and presence of winter icepacks on the Danube made it impossible to maintain a permanent link across the 290-metre-wide river with a floating bridge.
A decision was made to build a spar-type bridge in record time. The total destruction of industry and chronic lack of raw materials in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
required cannibalizing several dozen oil wells in the oil fields of Zala
Zala
Zala is the name of an administrative county in Hungary. Itlies in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia and Slovenia and the Hungarian counties Vas, Veszprém and Somogy. The capital of Zala county is Zalaegerszeg. Its area is 3784 km²...
county for the construction project. Steel piping was pulled from the depths and used as the main spars for the bridge. It is said some gunbarrels from abandoned and destroyed WWII battle tanks were also incorporated in the structure. Because of the tight schedule and design restrictions dictated by available substandard materials, the bridge was built with numerous concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
pylon
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, with smallish, 30 and 40-metre-wide openings between them. The construction project was entirely carried out by Soviet military engineering troops, with some 15 fatalities due to hurry and harsh work conditions.
By the time the bridge was completed, army shipping requirements had decreased and a change in Soviet foreign policy allowed its control and use to fall into the hands of the Hungarian people. The permanent link, built right at the southern corner of Budapest's vast Parliament Building, was often referred to as the "Link of Life", especially in the leftist press. Indeed, for some time it was the only connection between the two halves of the city, Buda and Pest. Officially inaugurated as the "Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
Bridge", it was named after the patriotic leader of Hungary's 1848-49 revolution.
Due to its hasty construction, the Kossuth bridge had several restrictions on use. It was used mainly for pedestrian crossing. Heavier trucks could cross at 20 km/h and in only one direction at a time. During sessions of parliament, it was sometimes shut down for noise and security reasons.
In the years following WWII some of the demolished Danube bridges were rebuilt, easing the traffic situation. The Kossuth Bridge gradually became a maintenance problem and its low span more of an obstacle to shipping on the River Danube. It was finally shut down and dismantled in 1960, but not replaced. Nowadays only two plaques
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
embedded in the riverbanks remind visitors of the bridge's former location. It is thought that a bridge will be erected in the same place around 2020 as part of the long-term Budapest infrastructure modernization programme.
A photo of the Kossuth bridge with Parliament in the background can be seen here.
