Krk Bridge
Encyclopedia
Krk Bridge is a 1430 m long reinforced concrete
arch bridge
connecting the Croatia
n island of Krk
to the mainland and carrying over a million vehicles per year. The longer of the bridge's two arches is the second longest concrete arch in the world and among the longest arches of any construction. The bridge was completed and opened in July 1980 and originally named Titov most ("Tito's bridge") in honor of Yugoslav
president Josip Broz Tito
, who had died two months prior.
Belgrade
and Hidroelektra Zagreb
, between 1976 and 1980, using cantilever construction with temporary cable-stays. Structurally, the bridge consists of two reinforced concrete arch spans, which rest on the islet of Sveti Marko between Krk and the mainland. The length of the longer arch is 390 m (actually 416 m, a part of the bow is in the water), which made it the longest concrete arch at the time of construction, the distinction it held until it was surpassed by Wanxian Bridge
(420 m length of arch) in 1997.
to Rijeka Airport
, which is situated on Krk. In the first 20 years of its existence, the bridge was crossed by 27 million vehicles, more than double of ferry traffic to and from the island. The increasing levels of traffic warrant a larger replacement bridge which is currently in planning stages.
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
arch bridge
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...
connecting the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n island of Krk
Krk
Krk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
to the mainland and carrying over a million vehicles per year. The longer of the bridge's two arches is the second longest concrete arch in the world and among the longest arches of any construction. The bridge was completed and opened in July 1980 and originally named Titov most ("Tito's bridge") in honor of Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
president Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
, who had died two months prior.
Construction
The bridge was designed by Ilija Stojadinović in cooperation with Vukan Njagulj and Bojan Možina , and built by MostogradnjaMostogradnja
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...
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...
and 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...
, between 1976 and 1980, using cantilever construction with temporary cable-stays. Structurally, the bridge consists of two reinforced concrete arch spans, which rest on the islet of Sveti Marko between Krk and the mainland. The length of the longer arch is 390 m (actually 416 m, a part of the bow is in the water), which made it the longest concrete arch at the time of construction, the distinction it held until it was surpassed by Wanxian Bridge
Wanxian Bridge
Wanxian Bridge, or Wanxian Yangtze Bridge , is a reinforced concrete arch bridge built over the Yangtze River in 1995. It is located in the vicinity of the Three Gorges Dam in Wanxian, Chongqing, China. Its arch is 420 metres and it is 864.12 m in length...
(420 m length of arch) in 1997.
Traffic
Krk Bridge connects the island's 17,860 (2001) inhabitants and its tourist resorts to Jadranska magistrala, the main-road along the Adriatic coast. It also connects the city of RijekaRijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
to Rijeka Airport
Rijeka Airport
Rijeka Airport is the airport serving Rijeka, Croatia. It is located near the town of Omišalj on the island of Krk, 17 km from the Rijeka railway station....
, which is situated on Krk. In the first 20 years of its existence, the bridge was crossed by 27 million vehicles, more than double of ferry traffic to and from the island. The increasing levels of traffic warrant a larger replacement bridge which is currently in planning stages.
External links
- About the bridge at Klimno's tourism website
- Dvadeseta obljetnica mosta kopno – otok Krk