New bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica
Encyclopedia
The New Bridge is a steel truss bridge crossing the Ibar river in Kosovska Mitrovica
, in northern Kosovo
. It was built in 2005 by the French KFOR.
The New Bridge is one of three bridges over the Ibar River
in Kosovska Mitrovica. The other two, one leading to the railway station, and the other being an abandoned railway bridge, are only lightly used. The New Bridge is the main crossing point between the two sides of the city.
The New Bridge has become an iconic symbol of Kosovo division, as it separates around 80,000 Kosovo Albanians
in the south from about half as many Serbs living in the north. It is used as a military checkpoint
and provides a defacto border between Serbia
and Kosovo.
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
, in northern Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. It was built in 2005 by the French KFOR.
The New Bridge is one of three bridges over the Ibar River
Ibar River
The Ibar is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro and Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia, near Kraljevo....
in Kosovska Mitrovica. The other two, one leading to the railway station, and the other being an abandoned railway bridge, are only lightly used. The New Bridge is the main crossing point between the two sides of the city.
The New Bridge has become an iconic symbol of Kosovo division, as it separates around 80,000 Kosovo Albanians
Albanians in Kosovo
Albanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo . According to the 1991 Serbian census, boycotted by Albanians, there were 1,596,072 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo or 81.6% of population...
in the south from about half as many Serbs living in the north. It is used as a military checkpoint
Civilian checkpoint
Civilian checkpoints or Security checkpoints are distinguishable from border or frontier checkpoints in that they are erected and enforced within contiguous areas under military or paramilitary control...
and provides a defacto border between 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...
and Kosovo.