Zrinski Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Zrinski Bridge or Zrínyi Bridge connects the Croatian A4
and the Hungarian M7
motorways, spanning the Mura River. As it also spans Hungarian–Croatian border, a joint border checkpoint is located north of the bridge. The bridge is located between Goričan
interchange of the A4 motorway and the M70 motorway
interchange of the M7. The bridge is a part of a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and Hungary and a part of European routes
E65
and E71
as well as the Pan-European corridor Vb
.
The bridge is a composite continuous girder structure executed across five spans, 216 metres (708.7 ft) long overall. It consists of two 15 metres (49.2 ft) parallel structures, each carrying one carriageway, set 80 centimetres (31.5 in) apart. Construction and naming of the bridge was announced in 2007 by Croatian and Hungarian governments following a joint session, and ceremonially opened on 22 October 2008 as the last piece of the motorway route connecting the Hungarian capital, Budapest
, to the Croatian capital, Zagreb
, and the Port of Rijeka
after 40 years of construction.
The bridge was designed by Uvaterv and built by Hidroelektra-Niskogradnja at a cost of 8 million kuna
(1.08 million euro
). The cost was shared equally by Croatia and Hungary. The bridge is maintained by Hrvatske autoceste and Állami Autópálya Kezelő Zrt.
and the Hungarian M7
motorways, spanning the river Mura. As it also spans Hungarian–Croatian border, a border checkpoint is situated adjacent to the bridge, on the north bank. The bridge is located between Goričan
interchange of the A4 motorway and the M70 motorway
interchange of the M7. The bridge is a part of a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and Hungary and a part of European routes
E65
and E71
as well as the Pan-European corridor Vb
.
Concrete bridge piers consist of two 4 metres (13.1 ft) × 2 metres (6.6 ft) columns each, executed atop driven, prefabricated concrete piles. Bridge abutments are also made of concrete and supported by the same type of piles. All the piles are 8.6 metre long and comprise diameter of 50 centimetres (19.7 in). The substructure is protected against scouring using gabion
s placed on the river bed. The bridge is fitted with electric lighting, electronic surveillance of unauthorized access to maintenance openings, as well as frost and wind-speed control devices.
in their annual bulletins on Croatian road traffic volume, even though it is a part of the A4 motorway where the traffic volume is normally measured. Still, such a measurement is available for the adjacent section of the A4, where average annual daily traffic volume of 2,188 vehicles was observed in 2010. Since the route comprising the bridge is used by substantial number of tourists traveling between Hungary and Adriatic Sea
resorts, the traffic volume increases during July–August period—to 7,247 vehicles in 2010.
and the Government of Hungary. At the same time, it was declared that the bridge shall be called Zrinski Bridge, after the House of Zrinski. The press continued to refer to the bridge under the generic name "Mura" (after the river) even after it was opened.
The prefabricated piles, manufactured by Tvornica Betonskih Stupova - TBS in Jastrebarsko
, and sections of the steel structural elements, manufactured by Đuro Đaković in Slavonski Brod
, were delivered to the construction site by trucks. The steel structure was assembled on the northern (Hungarian) bank of the river followed by incremental launching of the superstructure. The bridge design was developed by Hungarian company Uvaterv, and the bridge construction works were performed by Croatian Hidroelektra-Niskogradnja. Bridge equipment was installed by Dalekovod
. Total cost of the bridge construction works was 8 million kuna
(1.08 million euro
). The cost was shared equally by Croatia and Hungary. Additional 50 million kuna (6.7 million euro) was required to build the connecting motorway section north of Goričan interchange.
The bridge was completed and opened for traffic on 22 October 2008 by Croatian and Hungarian transport ministers. Opening of the bridge signified completion of the motorway route spanning Budapest
and Rijeka
via Zagreb
after 40 years of construction. At the occasion a joint border crossing checkpoint was opened. It was completed in October of 2007, and funded by the European Union
. Completion of the bridge was greeted with expectation of advances in areas of tourism, transportation safety and economic development, as the bridge represented the first modern motorway link between the countries. The bridge is maintained by Hrvatske autoceste and Állami Autópálya Kezelő Zrt, companies maintaining the motorways connecting on the bridge.
A4 (Croatia)
The A4 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, to the city of Varaždin and to Budapest, Hungary via the Goričan border crossing. The motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European routes E65...
and the Hungarian M7
M7 motorway (Hungary)
The M7 motorway is a Hungarian motorway which runs from Budapest towards the Croatian border at Letenye, reaching Székesfehérvár, then Siófok, a town on Lake Balaton, and the city of Nagykanizsa in the southwest of the country....
motorways, spanning the Mura River. As it also spans Hungarian–Croatian border, a joint border checkpoint is located north of the bridge. The bridge is located between Goričan
Gorican
Goričan is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.Goričan is the only village belonging to the municipality. Its population in the 2001 census was 3,148. Of the entire population, 3,088 people identified themselves as Croats....
interchange of the A4 motorway and the M70 motorway
M70 motorway (Hungary)
The M70 motorway is a motorway in Hungary, connecting the M7 motorway to the A5 motorway in Slovenia. The last section was completed in 2006. After the opening of the last missing sections of the M7 on August 19, 2008, there is a direct motorway link from Budapest to Slovenia....
interchange of the M7. The bridge is a part of a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and Hungary and a part of European routes
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
E65
European route E65
European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
and E71
European route E71
European route E 71 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European road route. It begins in Košice, Slovakia, passes through Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia and Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends at Split in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast. The total length of the route is...
as well as the Pan-European corridor Vb
Pan-European corridors
The ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
.
The bridge is a composite continuous girder structure executed across five spans, 216 metres (708.7 ft) long overall. It consists of two 15 metres (49.2 ft) parallel structures, each carrying one carriageway, set 80 centimetres (31.5 in) apart. Construction and naming of the bridge was announced in 2007 by Croatian and Hungarian governments following a joint session, and ceremonially opened on 22 October 2008 as the last piece of the motorway route connecting the Hungarian capital, 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...
, to the Croatian capital, 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 the Port of Rijeka
Port of Rijeka
The Port of Rijeka is a seaport in Rijeka, Croatia, located on the shore of the Kvarner Gulf in the Adriatic Sea. The first records of the port date to 1281. It was the main port of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, of Yugoslavia between World War II...
after 40 years of construction.
The bridge was designed by Uvaterv and built by Hidroelektra-Niskogradnja at a cost of 8 million 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....
(1.08 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
). The cost was shared equally by Croatia and Hungary. The bridge is maintained by Hrvatske autoceste and Állami Autópálya Kezelő Zrt.
Description
The Zrinski Bridge/Zrínyi Bridge connects the Croatian A4A4 (Croatia)
The A4 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, to the city of Varaždin and to Budapest, Hungary via the Goričan border crossing. The motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European routes E65...
and the Hungarian M7
M7 motorway (Hungary)
The M7 motorway is a Hungarian motorway which runs from Budapest towards the Croatian border at Letenye, reaching Székesfehérvár, then Siófok, a town on Lake Balaton, and the city of Nagykanizsa in the southwest of the country....
motorways, spanning the river Mura. As it also spans Hungarian–Croatian border, a border checkpoint is situated adjacent to the bridge, on the north bank. The bridge is located between Goričan
Gorican
Goričan is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.Goričan is the only village belonging to the municipality. Its population in the 2001 census was 3,148. Of the entire population, 3,088 people identified themselves as Croats....
interchange of the A4 motorway and the M70 motorway
M70 motorway (Hungary)
The M70 motorway is a motorway in Hungary, connecting the M7 motorway to the A5 motorway in Slovenia. The last section was completed in 2006. After the opening of the last missing sections of the M7 on August 19, 2008, there is a direct motorway link from Budapest to Slovenia....
interchange of the M7. The bridge is a part of a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and Hungary and a part of European routes
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
E65
European route E65
European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
and E71
European route E71
European route E 71 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European road route. It begins in Košice, Slovakia, passes through Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia and Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends at Split in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast. The total length of the route is...
as well as the Pan-European corridor Vb
Pan-European corridors
The ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
.
Structure
The A4/M7 motorway route follows a 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) radius horizontal curve and a 18000 metres (59,055.1 ft) radius vertical convex curve at the site of the bridge, intersecting the watercourse at an angle of 75 degrees. The bridge consists of dual structures, one for each of the motorway carriageways, executed as composite, continuous structures. Each of the structures comprises two 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) × 2 metres (6.6 ft) box steel girders made composite with deck slab of variable depth (23 centimetres (9.1 in) at mid-span), concreted in situ. Since the river is up to 200 metres (656.2 ft) wide and only 3 metre deep on average, a five span structure was selected for construction of the bridge: 36 metres (118.1 ft) + 3 × 48 metres (157.5 ft) + 36 metres (118.1 ft). The bridge is 216 metres (708.7 ft) overall and each of the two parallel structures is 15 metres (49.2 ft) wide, spaced 80 centimetres (31.5 in) apart.Concrete bridge piers consist of two 4 metres (13.1 ft) × 2 metres (6.6 ft) columns each, executed atop driven, prefabricated concrete piles. Bridge abutments are also made of concrete and supported by the same type of piles. All the piles are 8.6 metre long and comprise diameter of 50 centimetres (19.7 in). The substructure is protected against scouring using gabion
Gabion
Gabions are cages, cylinders, or boxes filled with soil or sand that are used in civil engineering, road building, and military applications. For erosion control caged riprap is used. For dams or foundation construction, cylindrical metal structures are used...
s placed on the river bed. The bridge is fitted with electric lighting, electronic surveillance of unauthorized access to maintenance openings, as well as frost and wind-speed control devices.
Traffic volume
Volume of traffic using the Zrinski Bridge/Zrínyi Bridge is not reported regularly by Hrvatske cesteHrvatske ceste
Hrvatske ceste is a Croatian state-owned company pursuant to provisions of the Croatian Public Roads Act , the county and local roads are managed by county authorities, while the motorways are managed by Croatian Motorways Ltd and other concessionaires.The company is currently administered by a...
in their annual bulletins on Croatian road traffic volume, even though it is a part of the A4 motorway where the traffic volume is normally measured. Still, such a measurement is available for the adjacent section of the A4, where average annual daily traffic volume of 2,188 vehicles was observed in 2010. Since the route comprising the bridge is used by substantial number of tourists traveling between Hungary and Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
resorts, the traffic volume increases during July–August period—to 7,247 vehicles in 2010.
History
Originally, construction of the bridge was planned by Hrvatske autoceste to start in 2006, along with a 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) connector to the A4 motorway completed by that time and a 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) M7 connector. Initially, the works were planned to be completed by 2007. Actual commencement of the construction works was announced in May 2007 during a joint session of the Government of CroatiaGovernment of Croatia
The Government of the Republic of Croatia , commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government , is the main element of the executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the President of the Government , commonly abbreviated to premier...
and the Government of Hungary. At the same time, it was declared that the bridge shall be called Zrinski Bridge, after the House of Zrinski. The press continued to refer to the bridge under the generic name "Mura" (after the river) even after it was opened.
The prefabricated piles, manufactured by Tvornica Betonskih Stupova - TBS in Jastrebarsko
Jastrebarsko
- Antiquity :In 1865, remnants of a Roman settlement were uncovered in Repišće, Klinča Sela, a village in Jastrebarsko metropolitan area. Further archeological investigation in the late 20th century classified them as a villa rustica and a necropolis consisting of six tumuli, both dating to...
, and sections of the steel structural elements, manufactured by Đuro Đaković in 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...
, were delivered to the construction site by trucks. The steel structure was assembled on the northern (Hungarian) bank of the river followed by incremental launching of the superstructure. The bridge design was developed by Hungarian company Uvaterv, and the bridge construction works were performed by Croatian Hidroelektra-Niskogradnja. Bridge equipment was installed by Dalekovod
Dalekovod
Dalekovod is a Croatian company, active in electrical engineering and civil engineering sectors. Its primary activities comprise design, production and construction of electrical power structures, electrical substations, power transmission mains, telecommunications structures, road equipment,...
. Total cost of the bridge construction works was 8 million 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....
(1.08 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
). The cost was shared equally by Croatia and Hungary. Additional 50 million kuna (6.7 million euro) was required to build the connecting motorway section north of Goričan interchange.
The bridge was completed and opened for traffic on 22 October 2008 by Croatian and Hungarian transport ministers. Opening of the bridge signified completion of the motorway route spanning 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...
and Rijeka
Rijeka
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...
via 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...
after 40 years of construction. At the occasion a joint border crossing checkpoint was opened. It was completed in October of 2007, and funded by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Completion of the bridge was greeted with expectation of advances in areas of tourism, transportation safety and economic development, as the bridge represented the first modern motorway link between the countries. The bridge is maintained by Hrvatske autoceste and Állami Autópálya Kezelő Zrt, companies maintaining the motorways connecting on the bridge.