Bridge over the Oder

A consortium of four companies - Warsaw's Profil, Mosty Katowice, Wrocław's BBKS-Projekt and Mosty Wrocław - has designed a gigantic 1,742-meter long, 126-meter high bridge linking the two banks of the Oder River over the Rędzin lock on the outskirts of Wrocław. Wrocław's Department of the General Directorate of National Roads and Highways (GDDKiA) plans to invest some zł.290 million in its construction.

According to the GDDKiA, the technical work will be completed by the third quarter of 2006, then it will call for tenders. The contractor will start work on the site by the end of this year and the investment should be completed by the end of 2008.

Professor Jan Biliszczuk from Wrocław Technical University is behind the design. The bridge, over 30 meters higher than Wrocław's tallest building, will be constructed on one pylon, over 20 meters above the water. Marek Suchy from BBKS-Projekt explains that unlike most bridges, the river itself was not the deciding factor for the construction model. "The lock has to be replaced regularly. The bridge has to provide room for cranes operating underneath it on the lock," says Suchy.

The bridge is part of Wrocław's planned ring road. Despite being only 35 kilometers long, the ring road is a real challenge for engineers, due to the 41 overpasses, bridges and flyovers which the road will need. The GDDKiA estimates that the ring road will cost some zł.1.5 billion, which will come from EU funds.

Andrzej Wróbel