Rędziński Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Rędziński Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge
spanning the Oder
river in Wrocław, Poland
. As a section of the A8 motorway bypassing the center of Wroclaw, the bridge links both sections of the route across the Oder, providing connections to the A4 motorway to the south, and to the future sections of the S5
and S8 expressways
to the northeast. With its pylon reaching a height of 122 m (400 ft) and having a total length of 1.7 km (1.1 mi), the Rędziński Bridge is the tallest and longest bridge in Poland.
in Płock by 30 m, then the longest bridge in the country. The contracts for the bridge's construction were awarded to the Warsaw
-based Mostostal
consortium and its parent Spanish
firm, Acciona Infraestructuras
on 20 May 2008, with construction commencing shortly afterwards. Construction of the bridge (and its main A8 motorway) continued for the next three years. Building efforts were temporarily halted during the 2010 Central European floods
, but later resumed after a short delay.
The structure was unofficially named the Rędziński Bridge by its builders due to the bridge's spanning of Rędzińska Island in the Oder. In August 2011, the Wrocław bureau of GDDKiA
, the branch of the Ministry of Infrastructure
tasked to roads, organized a naming competition of the bridge. After over 15,000 ballots cast, "Rędziński" won 55 percent of all total votes. The name defeated other popular choices such as "Śląski" by a wide margin.
Construction was completed by the end of August 2011. Financial costs for the bridge are estimated at 576 million PLN. Shortly before the bridge's opening to public traffic, coinciding with the opening of the last sections of the A8 motorway, Prime Minister Donald Tusk
visited the sight and praised its engineering. "This, I think, is a very good place and a very good moment to say that Poland is really under construction in a breathtaking way, at least in some places," Tusk was quoted.
The bridge opened to A8 traffic on 31 August 2011.
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
spanning the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
river in Wrocław, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. As a section of the A8 motorway bypassing the center of Wroclaw, the bridge links both sections of the route across the Oder, providing connections to the A4 motorway to the south, and to the future sections of the S5
Expressway S5 (Poland)
Expressway S5 or express road S5 is major road in Poland which has been planned to run along the route Grudziądz – Bydgoszcz – Poznań – Wrocław...
and S8 expressways
Expressway S8 (Poland)
Expressway S8 or express road S8 is major road in Poland which, when completed, will run along the route Wrocław – Łódź – Warsaw – Białystok. The whole road is planned to be about long...
to the northeast. With its pylon reaching a height of 122 m (400 ft) and having a total length of 1.7 km (1.1 mi), the Rędziński Bridge is the tallest and longest bridge in Poland.
History
Designed by Jan Biliszczuk, a professor of engineering at the Wrocław University of Technology, the bridge's design exceeded the length of the Solidarity BridgeSolidarity Bridge
The Solidarity Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Vistula River in Płock, Poland, being in a sequence of two national roads: national road no. 60 and national road no. 62.-History:...
in Płock by 30 m, then the longest bridge in the country. The contracts for the bridge's construction were awarded to the Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
-based Mostostal
Mostostal
Mostostal is a Polish steel construction group of companies. The company fabricates and builds a wide range of industrial structures from chemical plants to radio masts....
consortium and its parent Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
firm, Acciona Infraestructuras
Acciona
Acciona, S.A., is a Spanish conglomerate group dedicated to civil engineering, construction and infrastructure.The company was founded in 1997 through the merger of Entrecanales y Tavora and Cubiertas y MZOV. The company's headquarters is in Alcobendas, Community of Madrid, Spain. The company's U.S...
on 20 May 2008, with construction commencing shortly afterwards. Construction of the bridge (and its main A8 motorway) continued for the next three years. Building efforts were temporarily halted during the 2010 Central European floods
2010 Central European floods
The 2010 Central European floods were a devastating series of weather events which occurred across several Central European countries during May, June and August 2010. Poland was the worst affected. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine were also affected.At least...
, but later resumed after a short delay.
The structure was unofficially named the Rędziński Bridge by its builders due to the bridge's spanning of Rędzińska Island in the Oder. In August 2011, the Wrocław bureau of GDDKiA
GDDKIA
General Directorate for National Roads and Highways is the central authority of national administration set up to manage the national roads and implementation of the state budget in Poland...
, the branch of the Ministry of Infrastructure
Ministry of Infrastructure (Poland)
The Ministry of Infrastructure was an agency of the government of Poland. The ministry was headquartered in Warsaw. The ministry was originally created under the premiership of Leszek Miller in October 2001, yet was abolished in 2005 under the Law and Justice government of Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz,...
tasked to roads, organized a naming competition of the bridge. After over 15,000 ballots cast, "Rędziński" won 55 percent of all total votes. The name defeated other popular choices such as "Śląski" by a wide margin.
Construction was completed by the end of August 2011. Financial costs for the bridge are estimated at 576 million PLN. Shortly before the bridge's opening to public traffic, coinciding with the opening of the last sections of the A8 motorway, Prime Minister Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
visited the sight and praised its engineering. "This, I think, is a very good place and a very good moment to say that Poland is really under construction in a breathtaking way, at least in some places," Tusk was quoted.
The bridge opened to A8 traffic on 31 August 2011.
See also
- Third Millennium John Paul II BridgeThird Millennium John Paul II BridgeThe Third Millennium John Paul II Bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge which spans the Martwa Wisła River in Gdańsk, Poland.The bridge forms an inverted “Y”-shape with a 100 metres tall pylon...
- Solidarity BridgeSolidarity BridgeThe Solidarity Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Vistula River in Płock, Poland, being in a sequence of two national roads: national road no. 60 and national road no. 62.-History:...
- Most ŚwiętokrzyskiMost SwietokrzyskiMost Świętokrzyski is a bridge over the Vistula river in Warsaw, Poland linking Powiśle neighbourhood with Praga Północ district.It is a cable-stayed bridge, 479 m long, with two lanes for vehicles, a pavement and a cycle path each way. The single tower, 90 m high, located on the right river...
- Siekierkowski BridgeSiekierkowski BridgeSiekierkowski Bridge is a bridge over the Vistula River in Warsaw, Poland, connecting the Mokotów and Wawer districts.It is a cable-stayed bridge, 500 m long and wide, with three lanes for vehicles, a pavement and a cycle path each way...