Starý most is a bridge over the riverDanube in Bratislava, Slovakia. Before its reconstruction, the bridge included a wooden pathway for pedestrians, a two-lane road, and a railway track, connecting the historic old city of Bratislava with the newer region Petržalka. The bridge was closed for cars in 2009 and for buses on 14 May 2010. On 2 December 2013 it was also closed for pedestrian and bicycle traffic as deconstruction of the old bridge began. At the time of its closure it was the oldest standing bridge in Bratislava. , the bridge was replaced by a new one for pedestrians, cyclists and trams, as part of new tram track to Petržalka. At various times in the past, the bridge was called Most Červenej armády, Štefánikov most, Ferenc József híd and Franz Josef Brücke.
History
Aside from short-lived wooden bridges before the 19th century, which were often damaged or destroyed by floods and frost, the first bridge in Bratislava was a pontoon bridge, which was built in 1825, standing somewhere around Koronázási domb tér or Krönungshügel platz . It lasted until 1891, when a new steel bridge called Franz Josephs Brücke, was opened, which was part of the railroad track Bratislava-Szombathely. It was built by Gábor Baross' order. During the first Czechoslovak republic it was called Štefánikov most. During World War II the steel part of the bridge was destroyed, but the stone pillars survived. After the liberation of Bratislava by Soviet troops in 1945, the Red Army and Germanprisoners-of-war rebuilt the bridge.
Car-free future
On January 1, 2009 the city of Bratislava closed the bridge to motor vehicles except buses because of problems with statics and on May 15, 2010 also for buses, pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge was reopened to cyclists and pedestrians a few months later after the road for cars was removed and remained open until 8:00 AM on 2 December 2013 when it was closed for all traffic again due to its deconstruction which started in late November 2013. , the bridge was replaced by a new one for pedestrians, cyclists and trams, as part of new tram track to Petržalka.
