Asparuhov most

Infobox Bridge


bridge_name=Asparuhov most
(Аспарухов мост)
official_name=
locale=Varna, Bulgaria
carries=cars and pedestrians; two lanes of the Cherno More motorway
crosses=canal between Lake Varna and the Black Sea
open=8 September 1976
below=46 m
design=continuous beam
length=2,050 m
mainspan=160 m
width=21 m (two lanes 7.9 m each, two pavements 1.9 m each and curbs)The Asparuhov most (Аспарухов мост) or Asparuhovo Bridge is a bridge in Varna on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, connecting the Asparuhovo quarter to the rest of the city over the canals between the Black Sea and Lake Varna.

The bridge is 2.05 km in length and 50 m in height, weighing 3,200 tons. It has 38 pairs of supports, each one capable of carrying 2,400 tons. The installation experiences significant traffic, with 10,000 vehicles crossing it every 24 hours.

The bridge's construction began in 1973 after the need for a larger canal to link Lake Varna and the sea was felt. The initial launch date was 30 September 1976, but construction was ahead of schedule and finished on 8 September, when the Asparuhov most was opened in a ceremony by Todor Zhivkov. Meanwhile, the new canal that the bridge crosses began operation on 1 September, with the first ship going through on 4 September the same year.

After 20 years of no repairs, reconstruction work began in 1996 to end in October 1998, but the installation was not reopened until 17 September 1999, a date far from the initial plans of a 16-month reconstruction.

Today the Asparuhov most is not only an important transport installation, but also a place where extreme sports fans meet, as the bridge is a favourable location for bungee jumping.

References

* Varna.info.bg. " [http://varna.info.bg/asparuhovo_bridge.htm Asparuhov most] ".
* [http://dichev.com/panorama/bulgaria/varna/asparuhov_bridge_night/ Panorama photo of Asparuhov most bridge at night]