Cubic metres worth of bird droppings, thousands of locks collected from the Chain Bridge!
The renewal of the Chain Bridge has entered the phase of construction where the run-down reinforced concrete structure has been “sliced” and taken away piece by piece, and new steel structures are being built.
According to telex.hu, workers put the new steel element into its new place on Wednesday morning. With that, a new phase of the construction has started in the renewal project of Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge. There will be 35 more of these steel elements, each weighing eight tonnes.
The old chains will not be replaced, and the steel structure of the bridge is also to remain the original.
Interestingly, the centre of the bridge is now 10 centimetres higher, after hundreds of tonnes of reinforced concrete plates were removed. Once all the new steel ones replace the old elements, this elevation will end, and the new structure will be only 1-2 centimetres higher than the original.
3-4 cubic metres worth of bird droppings have been cleared off the bridge. With the renovated bridge, they will try to baulk nesting since guano is corrosive. Furthermore, workers took off ten bucketfuls of love locks, which they will place on a wall after the revamp.
The southern side of the bridge is in much worse condition than the northern side because of the different amounts of sunlight they get. The southern side receives more since Hungary is in the northern hemisphere.
Experts will now correct the harms done by the differing levels of heat absorption or by corrosion. And there are damages caused by boats and even the bombs of WWII which will be corrected, too.
The new colour of the Chain Bridge will be bluish-grey.
Some other elements of the project are: reconstructing the stone lions, building a new lamp system, modernising public utilities on the bridge, and giving a changeable decorative floodlight.
Cars will be able to commute again on the bridge in December 2022, but the pavements will remain closed until August 2023.
Meanwhile, the state has not transferred their contribution of HUF 6 billion (EUR 17.1 million) promised before, atv.hu reported.
The lion of the Chain Bridge was lifted — VIDEO, PHOTOS
One of the iconic elements of the Hungarian capital is the Chain Bridge. The bridge will regain its former glory during long renovation works. Renovation is now underway with the lifting of the famous lion statue.
The most important architectural project of Budapest is currently the renovation of the iconic Chain Bridge. The bridge was closed in June. It is planned to stay that way for 18 months, until the bridge is completely transformed. Traffic was closed on the bridge first, then demolition work was in the focus at the first stage. An important milestone was the demolition of the old, worn-out track structure. Now, the renovation arrived at another important stage.
The first lion statue was taken down.
First, one of the lions of the Pest bridgehead was lifted from its place. After that, the other lion will also be moved in days. The removal of the two lions in Buda will take place at the end of August. A lion consists of three blocks of stone. These three separate parts are held together by cement, writes hellomagyar.hu. The sculptures will be lifted in three parts during the renovation and then will be put back in three parts after the restoration.
The weight of the three parts is roughly equivalent to the weight of a bus. Anett Puskár, the communications manager of A-Híd Zrt., remarked that the lions are surrounded by many legends. According to one such story,
the sculptor jumped into the Danube when it turned out that the lions had no tongue.
The creator of the sculptures was János Marschalkó. However, the legend is not true, not least because it is visible at the scene that the lion statues do have a tongue.
The sculptures will then be taken to a studio in the Újpest district of the capital. Restoration awaits them there. While doing so, they look at the structure of the sculptures. This is because, in the case of limestone sculptures, the weather can easily damage their stability.
The sculptures are then chemically cleaned and repaired. The experts are restoring the parts of the statue that originally existed. For example, there will continue to be only canines in the mouth of the sculptures, but the broken lower teeth will be repaired, writes magyarepitok.hu.
The renovation of the Chain Bridge is going according to plan.
At the end of 2022, the bridge will be returned for traffic use. By then, the lions will also be in their place.
This is how the iconic Chain Bridge will look in 2023! – PHOTOS
The reconstruction works of Budapest’s jewel and symbol, the Chain Bridge, reached a new phase. Some new parts of the bridge have been transported from Csepel (21st district) to the downtown on the Danube. We collected some photos from which you can see how the renewed Chain Bridge will look when the work is finished.
According to metropol.hu, the first steel tables arrived from Csepel. These weigh 8 tonnes each and will be built into the oldest bridge of the Hungarian capital.
They will be placed in their final position in August. The total number of these elements is 94, and they will be transported to the bridge in the next few weeks.
Since they will provide the new base of the Chain Bridge, their shape, colour, and form will define the character of the renewed bridge from 2023 on.
Dávid Vitézy, the CEO of the Budapest Development Centre (BFK), wrote on Facebook that the construction of a new railway bridge across the Danube in Budapest is to start as well.
The development is part of creating the so-called “southern railway belt”. This aims to increase service quality in the region.
The new railway bridge will be ready by April 2021, and its parts will be transported from Csepel via the Danube. According to Mr Vitézy, Trans-European trains will commute on the bridge from 2027. The project costs HUF 400 billion.
Demolishing the track structure of the Chain Bridge has started – PHOTO GALLERY
Less than a month ago, traffic was closed on one of Budapest’s iconic bridges. Work has since begun, but now, the renovation has reached another milestone. They began to demolish the track structure of the bridge. The old, run-down reinforced concrete structure is “sliced” and lifted piece by piece.
For the time being, the complete renovation of the Chain Bridge is proceeding according to plan. The tourist attraction connecting Buda and Pest was closed on June 16, writes hellomagyar.hu.
Since then, various demolition works have been carried out. In 1 month, the street lights were dismantled, the asphalt and the bridge structure were stripped. Since then, workers have reached another important milestone in the demolition process.
The demolition of the bridge track structure has begun.
The contractor provided an opportunity for photographers to capture this phase of the bridge’s renovation. During the demolition of the track structure, the aged reinforced concrete structure is cut into four slices along the longitudinal axis of the roadway with a circular saw, writes index.hu. After the screw fastening, the concrete slices of 2-3.5 tonnes each are lifted and transported.
The demolition of the road surface began in the middle of the bridge. Engineers are constantly looking at which parts need to be replaced, which parts need to be repaired, and which parts are intact. The new steel track structure will arrive in August. These will be installed parallel to the demolition, thus maintaining the equilibrium structure of the bridge. The old reinforced concrete structure was out of date. The new structure is both lighter and better suited to the rest of the bridge.
Two gantry cranes serving the construction site have been completed and will be erected on the Chain Bridge.
A track system has also been built, on which the cranes will travel. In addition, corrosion protection work on the bridge chains has begun. The 7,000-square-metre suspended scaffolding is also visible.
This can be used to examine the lower surfaces of the bridge structure. The work is hampered by the heat. Contractors do not do hard physical work between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to avoid sickness.
The bridge was fully closed down on June 16, 2021, and the renovation is expected to last for 18 months.
Mayor refuses to give go-ahead to light up Chain Bridge on St. Stephen’s Day
Budapest Fidesz politician Zsolt Lang has decried a decision by the leadership of Budapest not to allow the city’s iconic Chain Bridge to be lit up for the St. Stephen’s Day celebrations, which could not take place last year due to the pandemic.
Lang told daily Magyar Nemzet that the central government planned to hold the celebrations on August 20 with Europe’s biggest light and fireworks show visible along more than 4km of the Danube embankment from Petofi Bridge to Margaret Bridge.
The city’s other bridges will be lit up decoratively, he said, adding that Karácsony’s refusal to allow the same for Chain Bridge was yet another token of his “fight against the government”.
“We’ve got used to the left wing treating our national holidays as disposable,” he said, adding that on the March 15 national holiday this year Budapest’s streets had lacked national flags.
For that matter, the second phase of the reconstruction on Budapest’s Chain Bridge has started recently despite the hit the city’s revenues have taken from the coronavirus epidemic and government austerity.
The goal is to have the bridge ready by the 150th anniversary of the unification of Pest, Buda and Óbuda into Budapest in August 2023, Karácsony said.
Read alsoSecond phase of Chain Bridge reconstruction gets under way
Second phase of Chain Bridge reconstruction gets under way
The second phase of the reconstruction on Budapest’s Chain Bridge has started despite the hit the city’s revenues have taken from the coronavirus epidemic and government austerity, Mayor Gergely Karácsony said on Wednesday.
Karácsony told a press conference held at the bridge that the government support for the works has yet to arrive.
He called on “all political players to stop trying to turn public opinion against the investment even if they cannot help.”
The bridge will be ready by the 150th anniversary of the unification of Pest, Buda and Óbuda into Budapest in August 2023, Karácsony said.
The 26.5 billion forint (EUR 75.4m) refurbishment will include reconstruction of the central lanes and the pavements, repairs to the steel structures and rails, re-insulation of the chain-chambers and ensuring protection against flooding.
The bridge’s iconic lion statues will also be restored and the whole structure equipped with a new LED lighting system.
Read alsoChain Bridge: it is full of rust but not life-threatening – PHOTOS
Chain Bridge to be closed for traffic from Wednesday
The Chain Bridge in downtown Budapest will be fully closed for traffic starting at 4am on Wednesday for renovation works scheduled for 18 months.
Public transport services using the landmark bridge will be rerouted.
According to earlier information from Budapest public transport company BKK, vehicular traffic could restart in December 2022, while
pedestrians would only be allowed back on the bridge when the renovation project is complete, in August 2023.
Refurbishment of the bridge will include reconstruction of the central lanes and the pavements, repairs to the steel structures and rails, re-insulation of the chain-chambers and ensuring protection against their being flooded.
The bridge’s iconic lion statues will also be restored and the whole structure will be equipped with a new LED lighting system.
Attention! Chain bridge revamp starts next week!
The reconstruction work of the Chain Bridge is going to begin next Wednesday. Budapest’s iconic bridge is planned to be reopened to road traffic in December 2022 and to pedestrians in 2023.
The renovation of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge has been planned for a long time. This week, the reconstruction preparations reached their final stage,
thanks to which the project can start on Wednesday, 16 June, announced the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) this week.
As BKK reports, another significant preparatory work began on the Chain Bridge and its surroundings earlier this week. The contractor, A-Híd Zrt., will use a tower crane on the Pest and Buda sides that will move the raw materials and bridge elements to the site during the renovation. On the Pest side, the tower crane with a load capacity of 12 tonnes was erected at the beginning of this week. The crane, with a height of 29.75 metres, has been fixed with central iron concrete weights of 100 tonnes, needed for the ground to withstand the load of the tower crane.
As we previously reported, Budapest’s landmark will keep its main characteristics; however, due to the rusty elements of the bridge, almost everything will be replaced. As the first step of the renovation project, the contractor, A-Híd Zrt., took over the entire work area in April and closed the pedestrian underpass on the Pest side but has left the Buda side open until mid-June. In May, the decontamination of metal and ammunition of the Danube began, technicians started to rebuild the Clark Ádám Square, they started to work on the fixing of the tower crane set up on the Pest side, and the suspended scaffolding of the Chain Bridge was also completed.
By the end of the preparations, the contractor will completely close the Chain Bridge on 16th June, next Wednesday. Until then, road traffic, including buses 16 and 105, as well as night buses 916 and 990, will run smoothly on it. Passengers can travel free of charge between the Clark Ádám Square and the Széchenyi István Square, in both directions.
The Chain Bridge is planned to be reopened to road traffic in December 2022; however, pedestrian sidewalks will remain work areas until the works are fully completed, scheduled for 2023.
The renovation of the Chain Bridge will bring a change in the lives of those travelling in the capital; therefore, BKK is constantly providing information on the details of the traffic closure and renovation.
The reconstruction of the Chain Bridge is not the only renovation project beginning this summer. As we reported previously this week, the Nyugati Railway Station will be fully closed for revamping and modernisation from 19th June until 18th July. The renewed train station will offer upgraded services, providing more comfortable travel for passengers.
Chain Bridge: it is full of rust but not life-threatening – PHOTOS
Budapest’s Danube embankment to be beautifully renewed – PHOTOS
The government’s ambitious aim is to crowd the cars out from the embankments of the Danube River in Budapest. The plans are not new, and experts hope that they can help reconnect the people of Budapest with the river. The day before yesterday, some new photos were published about how the Pest embankments would look, which we share in the article below.
According to budapestkornyeke.hu, cyclists and pedestrians will benefit from the developments while car owners would like them less.
The work started in 2013, Dávid Vitézy, the director of the Budapest Development Centre (BFK), revealed in one of his Facebook posts published recently. However, nothing happened for a long time. In October 2020, the state secretary for developments in the capital and its agglomeration, Balázs Fürjes, proposed to take the project out from the issues the government and the leadership of Budapest debated on. He added that
the government would finance the project based on the plans made before.
They had been negotiating about the details for half a year, but it is now official that the work can continue.
Gergely Karácsony, lord mayor of Budapest, Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Balázs Fürjes signed an agreement in which the government guaranteed to finance the development of the Danube embankment on the Pest side.
The project includes, for example, connecting all parts of the embankment to allow people to
walk or cycle kilometres long from the northern to the southern part of the city.
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Furthermore, it also involves creating new promenades, green spaces, and the “humanisation” of the Pest embankment.
The neighbourhood of the Chain Bridge’s Pest bridgehead will completely be renewed. Cars will disappear from the front of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences where there will be a
new green space used only by pedestrians.
On the Belgrád pier, the tram will circulate in the centre. The government plans to renew Közraktár Street as well. Thanks to that, people will be able to cycle there, which might relieve the crowded Nehru Part.
The government plans to make the H6 and H7 suburban railways circulate underground, while
the promenade will end just before Csepel Island.
Dávid Vitézy said that these elements of the project were already in the planning phase. “This is a fine and important task; it is high time to do it, so we get straight to work,” he concluded.
Chain Bridge: it is full of rust but not life-threatening – PHOTOS
The main characteristics of the bridge will not change, but almost everything will be replaced in it. The chains installed in 1916 will remain, but the structure and the underground anchoring chambers will be renewed. Furthermore, in the Pest bridgehead, there will be pedestrian crossings.
According to index.hu, corrosion weakens the structure of the bridge day by day. That is why the renovation is urgent, not because the bridge is life-threatening. As a result, the public can use it until its closure in June. Based on the plans,
the renovation project will last for 30 months.
Before 1849, there was a bridge made by joining barges, but that had to be removed during winter. That is why count Istán Széchenyi, the “greatest Hungarian”, decided to build a permanent bridge over the Danube connecting Pest, Buda and Óbuda in every season. The work finished in 1849, and the Chain Bridge became not only a symbol of the united Budapest but also of Hungary in the following centuries.
In 1849, architects built 2,000 tonnes of iron into the structure. However, that was extended to 5,000 in 1916 when the bridge was rebuilt. Unfortunately,
German troops blew the bridge up during the siege of Budapest in 1944-45.
After WWII, the government rebuilt it using reinforced concrete. That is what A-Híd Ltd, the contractor of the renovation project, will take up because it became aged. Interestingly, the last modification was carried out in the 1980s on the Chain Bridge.
- Contract signed the renovation of Széchenyi Chain Bridge starts in March!
- Renovation of the Chain Bridge to cost nearly EUR 75.3m
- Find out how the Chain Bridge in Budapest got its name!
Currently, the contractor will replace reinforced concrete with steel structures. Moreover, they will remove rust and protect the bridge against it again. The preparatory phase started yesterday, during which they closed the pavements
so one can go through the bridge only by car currently.
In the next few weeks, they plan to paint 80 thousand square metres of surface on the bridge. From April 16 on, they will adjust the Pest and Buda bridgehead tunnels to the cyclists’ needs.
To renew the structure of the bridge, experts will attach a 7,000 square metre scaffold beneath the bridge from where
they will build 1,000 tonnes of steel structures made in Csepel, 21st district.
The bridge will get a changeable floodlight, and both the coat-of-arms and the rosettes on it will be renewed. Therefore, from June on, cars will not be able to go through the bridge for 18 months. In return, BKK will transport passengers between the Clark Ádám square and the Széchenyi square for free. Based on experts, the closure of the bridge will not cause significant problems in the traffic of the city.
If everything goes well, the bridge will not need further renovation for 30 years.
The renovation of one of Budapest’s most iconic bridges has finally started – PHOTOS
Following a couple of years of tenders and debate between the Hungarian government, BKK (Centre for Budapest Transport), and the Municipality of Budapest, the renovation of the iconic Széchenyi Chain Bridge has finally started.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, which was among the top 10 most beautiful bridges in the world and was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, was inaugurated in November 1849. Unfortunately, however, the bridge was destroyed when the German soldiers left after the Siege of Budapest. For more interesting things from the past of the Chain Bridge, you could check out THIS article, and if you would like to know how it got its name, read THIS article.
Around January, the winner of the tender got finalised by the committee, and the Board of Directors at BKK accepted the decision. It will be the A-Híd Zrt. that renovates the bridge that has been in need of serious renovation for quite some time.
According to Hvg, the winning tender put forth a net cost of HUF 18.8 billion (€51.5 million) which ended up being a gross total of HUF 26.75 billion (€73.3 million).
This latter includes VAT, inspector and independent expert fees, etc., and a 10% reserve. In January, there was a little delay on the government’s promised support contract, but the Municipality of Budapest said that if necessary, the municipality will provide the full cost of the renovation so that the work can start.
For all of those who are currently in Hungary and would like to see the Chain Bridge, we have bad news;
the renovation of the bridge started by closing off the pedestrian walkways on the bridge and the areas near the bridgeheads. This will be where the renovation works will be fulfilled and the last area to be reopened.
Hvg says that, at first, A-Híd will establish the scaffolding and crane tracks that will help with the oncoming renovation. Although the pedestrian walkways have already been closed as of Wednesday, March 17th, the traffic on Széchenyi Chain Bridge will only be closed around mid-June this year. Until then, buses 16 and 105 during the day and buses 916 and 990 during the night will operate normally.
According to Hvg, the renovation will take quite some time, and
the bridge will reopen to traffic again only in December 2022, but the overall renovation will only be finished by around August 2023.
That is if everything goes according to plan but, unfortunately, in Hungary, things like this are not set in stone.
Read alsoContract signed, the renovation of Széchenyi Chain Bridge starts in March!
Chain Bridge closed to pedestrians during renovation from next week
Budapest’s landmark Chain Bridge will be closed to pedestrians until the completion of its renovation, starting next Wednesday, scheduled in 2023, the Budapest transport centre BKK said.
The bridge will also be closed to car traffic from mid-June, BKK said on Friday.
Bus services over the bridge will be free of charge between Clark Adam Square and Széchenyi István Square, it added.
The bridge is planned to be reopened for vehicles in December 2022 and the entire revamp is scheduled to be completed in August 2023.
During the upcoming weekend, from March 13 to March 15, the bridge will be reserved for pedestrian crossings only.
Read alsoContract signed, the renovation of Széchenyi Chain Bridge starts in March!
Contract signed, the renovation of Széchenyi Chain Bridge starts in March!
On Tuesday, the contract for the renovation of Budapest’s iconic attraction, the Chain Bridge, was signed by the management of Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK). The project is scheduled to begin in March and planned to be completed in the autumn of 2023.
The Chain Bridge was completed 172 years ago during the 1848-49 revolution and is also known as the first permanent and one of the most beautiful bridges over the Danube. Budapest’s iconic bridge is more than 380 metres long and 14.5 metres wide. As Hungarian news portal Magyar Építők reports, it is also a key part of transport in the Hungarian capital; therefore, its renovation has become a priority. As we reported earlier, the renovation works of Széchenyi Chain Bridge were planned to be realised for the beginning of this year, which has now been confirmed.
The patinated capital bridge will be renewed by the Hungarian A-Híd Ltd.; the company with the largest Hungarian bridge-building history won the public tender for the project for a net amount of EUR 52.9 million (~HUF 18.8 billion).
The reconstruction is scheduled to begin in March, and it is planned to be completed by the autumn of 2023.
Based on the website of Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK), within the framework of the renovation, the following works will be carried out:
- the road surface will be completely reconstructed;
- the remaining steel structures will be repaired and provided with corrosion protection;
- the pedestrian barriers will be renovated;
- bridge accessories (bridge shoes, expansion elements, walkways) will be renewed;
- stone lions, stone coats of arms, stone inscriptions, and stone surfaces will be renovated;
- the ventilation structures on the Buda side will be modernised;
- the insulation of both the Buda and Pest anchoring chambers will be renewed;
- and the flood protection system of the chambers will also be built.
They will also take care of the riverbed arrangement while working with the highest quality and greatest care on the 172-year-old monument.
This phase will include:
- the Danube riverbed and the modernisation of navigational signals (construction of active radar);
- the reconstruction of pedestrian underpasses and stairs;
- the renovation and utilisation of bridgeheads.
Read alsoFind out how the Chain Bridge in Budapest got its name!
Featured image: Bódis Krisztián / Budapest Images/www.facebook.com/budapestimages/
The renovation works of Széchenyi Chain Bridge of Budapest can start next month
The most important bridge of Hungary can finally go through some well needed refreshing works. Finding the right contractor that offers the best price for the highest quality work took some time, as the tender on the public procurement had to be reinitiated several times to find the most fitting company. Nevertheless, there is a “winner”, and the only thing left to do is signing the contract.
Széchenyi Chain Bridge is the first permanent bridge across the Danube, a real national monument at the Buda mountains’ feet. It is a popular Instagrammable site for a lot of tourists, and we can understand why. Looking from the other side of the Danube, the view with the Buda Castle behind the bridge is breathtaking. Before it was built, the only way to cross the Danube was by boat, on the frozen Danube in wintertime or by a temporary bridge that operated very rarely.
Budapest, however, needed a real stone bridge. It was built between 1839 and 1849 by a Scottish engineer Adam Clarke and designed by his British colleague William Tierney Clarke. The whole project, however, is thanks to the greatest Hungarian, Count István Széchenyi. He did everything in his power to give the capital its first permanent bridge, he concluded studies abroad, he drew up several designs for the construction, he visited factories and experimented with materials, and he was the one who asked the two foreign engineers, apart from being the most significant financial supporter of the bridge.
When it was finalised, it was regarded as a modern technical miracle of its time.
Ever since it has asserted an enormous significance in Hungary’s social, cultural and economic life, apart from being a rather big tourist attraction. It became a symbol of advancement, national awakening and the linkage between East and West, as the bridge itself also links the Eastern and Western parts of the capital together. The two rock lions guarding its entrance on the Pest side are probably known worldwide, surely by every tourist that has ever visited the city.
Reconstruction works of this majestic bridge have been on the city’s agenda for quite a while now. Works were postponed due to the municipal elections in 2019 when the capital gained its new mayor, as well as due to a lack of financial resources.The municipality of Budapest did not have enough money to start the reconstructions and needed an agreement with the government to help them out. This contract is still not signed; however, the capital managed to regroup the amount of money required to initiate the process. The only thing left is the sponsorship agreement promised by the government back in February 2020.
Nevertheless, Budapest is committed to the works, and it ensures to cover the costs even if the sponsorship agreement is delayed
– writes hvg.hu.
According to all this, the contract can be signed at the end of this month, and works can begin at the end of February. If everything goes according to plans, the whole process will last 30 months, meaning that it can be concluded by the Autumn of 2023. The entire bridge will be closed entirely as a construction site from traffic during 18 months, based on the schedule wrote by the winner construction company and accepted by the chief engineer before the works can begin.
The solution to redirect traffic in the area is yet to be confirmed.
The execution of the plans will be quite costly, reaching 18,8 billion forints net (more than 52 million euros). Nevertheless, it is a much-needed project for one of the most important monuments of Hungary.
Photo by Lucas Davies on Unsplash
Read alsoPedestrians to be banned from Chain Bridge, Budapest
Final decision has been made on the renovation of Budapest Chain Bridge!
Besides other infrastructural developments in the Hungarian capital, the Budapest Council of Public Developments discussed the future plans regarding the renovation of Chain Bridge. Within the framework of the meeting attended by Minister Gergely Gulyás and Mayor Gergely Karácsony, financing issues were also discussed.
Chain Bridge
Undoubtedly, one of the most critical issues was the renovation of the Chain Bridge.
Concerning this question, it has been clarified in what way the government would give the promised EUR 16.4 million (~HUF 6 billion) for the renovation of Budapest’s iconic bridge.
This can be realised if the capital agrees that the bridge will not be closed for more than 18 months and the money will be transferred when only that amount is missing. Presumably, this can be expected in 2022 at the earliest.
Construction of new tram line
Within the framework of the meeting, it has been discussed that the government will finance the new tram line along the quay section of Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Such public transport developments are essential due to the construction of BudaPart district next to the Kopaszi Dam, as well as the future Mol-campus, which will also be located there, providing places of residence and workplace for tens of thousands of people.
Quays
Regarding the renovation of the Pest quays, the parties agreed that car traffic should be provided in the future as well; however, pedestrian and bicycle traffic will also be extended, providing more convenient access to the Danube.
Metro line 2 and local railway in Gödöllő
As the Hungarian news portal Portfolio reports, the capital has handed over to the government the complete plans for the renovation of the local railway in Gödöllő and its connection to metro line 2, so the government will carry out these tasks.
Liget Budapest Project
As far as the Liget Budapest Project is concerned, the government and the capital still do not agree with the construction of the New National Gallery, the Hungarian Innovation House and the Városliget Theater.
Bicycle lane on the Grand Boulevard
The parties also disagreed on this issue, the government still does not support the creation of a bicycle lane due to the emerging problems of car traffic, nor does it support the use of a bicycle lane on certain sections of the sidewalk.
Authority cites content errors in Chain Bridge renovation tender documents – UPDATE
Hungary’s Public Procurement Authority has rejected to accept the tender documents of the renovation of Budapest’s landmark Chain Bridge, citing errors in their content, daily Magyar Nemzet said on Tuesday.
The paper cited the municipal group of ruling Fidesz saying in a Facebook entry on Monday that after a more than six-month delay the opposition leadership of Budapest had still failed to conduct a tender with proper content on the bridge’s much needed upgrade.
It cited Fidesz saying that because of the errors “the renovation of a national symbol will be delayed for weeks due to incompetence”.
The board of the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) approved tender documents for the project on July 24, the paper noted.
The Chain Bridge revamp would be financed by the Budapest municipality, a 6 billion forint (EUR 17m) contribution by the central government and loans, the paper said.
Read alsoHungarian government to spend more money on celebrating a national holiday than renovating the Chain Bridge
UPDATE
Commenting on the authority’s decision, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony said the municipal council disagreed with the move to reduce the number of years for which potential bidders could provide references to their previous work from ten to eight, saying this could narrow the field of bidders for the project.
The municipal council considers the original tender to be sound, Karácsony said in a Facebook entry, adding that the project’s urgency meant that the city council had “no choice” but to incorporate the authority’s instructions into the tender.
The directory of the Budapest public transport authority BKK will rework the tender immediately, he said, adding that this would not be the reason for any further delays to the bridge’s upgrade.
“Given the current political situation, the real surprise would have been if the government authority had approved the tender,” the mayor wrote.
Karácsony noted that after thorough preparations BKK approved the public procurement tender for the upgrade of Chain Bridge about ten days ago. Karacsony said the tender served to guarantee the conditions of a broad and transparent competition and to ensure a high number of competent bidders.
But the Public Procurement Authority reduced the original ten-year reference period in the tender to eight, Karácsony noted. He said
this was crucial because there had not been any bridge renovations carried out in Budapest over the past eight years, meaning that none of the bidders will be able to provide references to previous projects they had worked on.
Karácsony also said that the government had yet to issue a resolution on the amount of funding it will allocate to the project despite having promised to do so back in February. The mayor speculated that this was because the government had been awaiting the Public Procurement Authority’s most recent decision.
Public procurement for Chain Bridge revamp hoped to get green light next week
The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) board has expressed “principled support for the management” that it will discuss and hopefully agree to invite a public procurement tender for the reconstruction of Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge next week, BKK CEO László Fendrik told a press conference in Budapest on Friday.
Kata Tüttő, deputy mayor for the Socialists, said that the major questions of the public procurement tender have been decided and the renovation would give the bridge a lighter structure for the next 25 years.
“The renovation should have started already nine years ago when the first experts’ report called for it,” Tüttő told the press conference.
Now the municipality had no other option but to decide for carrying out solely the renovation of the bridge without being able to also launch the reconstruction of the tunnel for trams and the renovation of the Buda Castle Tunnel, she said.
The central government has repeatedly called for an immediate renovation of the bridge over the past nine months, but has been unable to transfer the 6 billion forints (EUR 17m) it had pledged for the project ever since,
said Tüttő.
She said the city council would be ready to supplement that amount missing to meet the entire cost of the project.
Tüttő confirmed that
“the renovation will get under way, we are going to revamp that Chain Bridge.”
Outlining a possible timeline, Fendrik said
the reconstruction could begin in March next year and take 30 months.
It would require closing the bridge for a full 18 months and reopen it for traffic in 2023, he said.
Gábor Szőke, the CEO of Budapest Közút, the company in charge of managing and operating Danube bridges, said that a ban for vehicles weighing over 5 tonnes had already been introduced in January and a speed limit of 30 km/hour had come into effect in June.
“Here I would like to reassure everybody that the bridge will not collapse,” he said.
In response to a question, Szőke said the bridge is not in a condition that would require its closure.
Balázs Fürjes, state secretary for the development of Budapest and the metropolitan area, said in response that any further delay in the bridge’s renovation would costs billions of forints and pose danger to Budapest residents.
Friday’s meeting of BKK’s board was disappointing for it had again failed to launch the public procurement procedure for the renovation, Fürjes said in a statement.
Citing an expert report released last December, Fürjes said that the bridge is in a critical condition. He added that another report in June cautioned that fragments of concrete may fall onto vehicles on the embankments or on ships.
Read alsoHungarian government to spend more money on celebrating a national holiday than renovating the Chain Bridge
Man climbs up the Chain Bridge, unconscious when brought down
A man climbed up the Chain Bridge early Thursday afternoon. The man fell asleep on the pier and was still unconscious when the firemen arrived. No police intervention was necessary, but traffic routes had to be altered for hours.
BKK Info and 24 report that the man supposedly fell asleep on the pier. Firemen and paramedics were called, and he was quickly brought down and taken to the paramedics for examination.
Luckily, no police intervention was necessary.
The incident did, however, affect public transportation. Routes of buses no. 16 and 105 had to be altered for hours. Bus no. 16 had to skip three stops (Deák Ferenc Square, Hild Square, and Széchenyi István Square). Bus no. 105 was also unable to stop at Széchenyi István Square, József Nádor Square, Deák Ferenc Square, and Hild Square.
Luckily, the disturbance did not last long, and the man was soon brought down from the bridge by firemen.
This is not the first, and probably not the last, case of people climbing up bridges, which is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous.
Something strange always happens on the Chain Bridge
In May 2018, a man was walking around the bridge completely naked, wearing nothing except shoes, a baseball cap, and a backpack, and, of course, we will never forget Will Smith’s infamous dance on top of the bridge.
After spending months in Budapest to shoot his movie, Smith said goodbye to Budapest by climbing on top of the Chain Bridge and shooting a video for the #InMyFeelings Instagram challenge. The challenge was started by Drake and The Shiggy Show, and the point was to dance to the “In My Feelings” song in the weirdest and most peculiar situations and locations.
