Zagreb Bridge conquered the Sava, but not the ravages of time

For 67 years, Zagreb’s Freedom Bridge has carried cars, bicycles and pedestrians across the Sava. The 373-meter structure, built with Brač stone and 1,600 tons of steel, connected the city center with New Zagreb and became one of the capital’s main transport links.

Architect Krunoslav Tonković designed the bridge, which Većeslav Holjevac, known as the father of New Zagreb, opened to traffic on Sept. 3, 1959. Shortly before noon, the president of the city’s municipal committee cut the ribbon before thousands of residents and officially named it the Freedom Bridge.

After decades of round-the-clock use, the bridge urgently needed more than cosmetic repairs. Zagreb announced its reconstruction in March 2019, with the work planned in phases. The first phase lasted nine months and replaced the concrete pedestrian paths, repaired the pedestrian railings and damaged sections of the steel arches, and installed protective coatings against salt, ultraviolet light and wear.

The project also replaced the steel edge beam, added roadway waterproofing and new granite curbs, and replaced asphalt with high-strength concrete. The repaired section covered 270 meters and cost €2,787,178.97 excluding value-added tax, according to Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet, who spoke to Večernji list for the bridge’s 65th anniversary. He said the repair of Zagreb’s Sava bridges remained a city priority, though schedules depended on technical documentation, financing and the fact that work could take place on only one bridge in the central area at a time. In 2022, crews also replaced expansion joints on the bridge’s main span.

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During the first phase of the emergency maintenance of the Freedom Bridge in 2019, which lasted nine months, the railings, edge beams and pedestrian paths were repaired.