Budapest’s Chain Bridge is accessible again! – PHOTOS
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A major milestone has been reached in the renovation of the Chain Bridge: the new steel roadway has been completed in record time, replacing the old, ageing reinforced concrete roadway. The inset roadbeds form a continuous section along the entire length of the bridge, making it possible to walk along the Chain Bridge. The bridge deck is expected to be open to traffic by the end of the year. Read more below.
Less than a year after the demolition of the track structure began, and only 11 months after the first steel element of the new roadway was installed, 94 steel track panels were installed along the entire length of the Chain Bridge, replacing the reinforced concrete structure. These steel plates, stiffened by trapezoidal ribs – known as orthotropic – are much lighter than their predecessors, reducing the bridge’s self-weight and allowing the steel to be better combined with the remaining elements of the historic Chain Bridge. The installation of the elements started in the middle of the bridge, where the demolition work began, and then proceeded in two directions, writes BKK.
Major stone work on the tram underpass is now complete
The steelwork repairs are still continuing in the coastal openings, but between the two piers the new steel elements, the repaired remaining structures and the protection of the lower section of the chains against corrosion are nearing completion. Corrosion protection work on this section of the painting dams is now 80 percent complete.