Branko's Bridge

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name=Branko's Bridge


caption=Branko's bridge aerial view.
official_name= Brankov most
carries=
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design= D. Dragojević
mainspan=261 m
length=450 m
width=
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clearance=
below=
traffic=90,000 vehicles
begin=
complete=
open=1957
closed=
toll=
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Branko's bridge (Serbian: Бранков мост/"Brankov most") is the second-largest bridge (after Gazela) of Belgrade, Serbia, across Sava river, connecting the city center with New Belgrade.

The bridge was built in 1957 [cite web|url=http://www.danas.co.yu/20031216/periskop1.html|title=Arhiv: 16. decembar|publisher=Danas|date=2003-12-16|language=Serbian] after World War II, replacing the former chain-stayed King Alexander I bridge that was opened on December 16, 1934 and blown up in 1941. [cite web|url=http://www.serbia-info.com/g3/images/1930-50-e.htm|title=Twentieth Century - Innovations in Belgrade (1930-1950)|publisher=Serbia-info.com] The bridge actually uses lower parts of the former bridge's pylons (decorated by Ivan Meštrović in Serbo-Byzantium style) as outer constraints for its two secondary spans. It has dual carriageway with three lanes in both directions; actually, it consists of two separate constructions in each direction, and the second was finished in 1979.cite web|url=http://www.mostprojekt.co.yu/index.php?sid=13&lang=1#|title=Branko's bridge|publisher=Mostprojekt company] . It is 450 m long, made as continuous steel box girder, with central span of 261 m and side spans of 81.5 m each. It is crossed by nearly 90,000 vehicles daily, and traffic congestions are frequent. [cite web|url=http://www.beoland.com/izgradnja/vodovod.asp?a=060802|title=Cevovod na Brankovom mostu|publisher=Direkcija za građevinsko zemljište i izgradnju Beograda|date=2006-08-02]

A German company MAN is behind the original project of the bridge. Belgrade based "Mostprojekt" company had done the project to double the bridge capacity in the 70s.Head of the project team was D. Dragojević. Fact|date=September 2007The name of the bridge is unofficial, and seems to owe it to a bizarre chain of events. Its official name during the communist rule was "Brotherhood and unity bridge" ("Most bratstva i jedinstva"), but that name never caught up: it was called "bridge in Branko's street" (named after Branko Radičević, Serbian romanticist poet) or "Savski most". However, when another writer, Branko Ćopić, committed a suicide by jumping from the bridge in 1984, the current name started circulating and eventually caught up; it is still not clear after which Branko it was named. [cite web|url=http://erazmofrojd.mojblog.co.yu/1/brankov-most/90501.aspx|title=Brankov most|language=Serbian] [cite web|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.co.yu/arhiva/2000/02/21/pisma/srpski/pisma.shtm|title=Sporno ime mosta|date=2000-02-21|language=Serbian]

ee also

*Transport in Belgrade

External links

* [http://www.blic.co.yu/temadana.php?id=8483 Fanovi „Stonsa“ opasno zaljuljali Brankov most] , "Blic", 17. jul 2007

References