Poniatowski Bridge

Coordinates: 52°14′10″N 21°02′30″E / 52.23611°N 21.04167°E / 52.23611; 21.04167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

52°14′10″N 21°02′30″E / 52.23611°N 21.04167°E / 52.23611; 21.04167

Poniatowski Bridge

Most Poniatowskiego
Deck arch bridge
MaterialSteel
Total length506 metres (1,660 ft)
Width21.40 metres (70.2 ft)
Longest span80 metres (260 ft)
No. of spans8
History
ArchitectStefan Szyller
Engineering design byMieczysław Marszewski, Wacław Paszkowski
Constructed byK. Rudzki i S-ka
Construction start1904
Opened6 January 1914
Location
Map

The Poniatowski Bridge (

Jerusalem Avenue
, a principal Warsaw thoroughfare.

History

The 506 m long steel bridge, consisting of eight

Governor General, Georgi Skalon, as Warsaw's third bridge; hence it was nicknamed "third bridge" (Polish: "trzeci most") by the city's residents, though its official name was Bridge of Our Most Gracious Ruler, Tsar Nicholas II (Warsaw then being part of the Russian Empire, following the 18th-century partitions of Poland). After Poland regained independence in 1918, the bridge was renamed after Prince Józef Poniatowski
and acquired a new nickname — "Poniatoszczak" — which it retains to this day.

Poniatowski Bridge after being blown up by the Russian Army in 1915.
Poniatowski Bridge during the 1915 fire (shortly after being rebuilt from being blown up).

The bridge suffered much during the

coup, Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski. During the Second World War the bridge was destroyed by German troops during the Warsaw Uprising, on 13 September 1944. That demolition was much more complete: all spans were toppled, and only the lower piers
survived.

The first post-war plans by the new (communist) Polish government provided for the construction of a wooden temporary structure on the surviving pillars, but hasty work caused the bridge to collapse. Restored again on new pillars, the bridge was reopened again on 22 July 1946 by

Polish renaissance
features, such as the hand-made balustrades or stone benches. Some of the old pre-war benches, as well as one of the old spans, can be seen in the water near the bridge at low tide. In 1949, under the direction of Eng. Tadeusz Chyliński of the Institute of Aviation, stain gauge measurements of stresses in the bridge spans were carried out during test loading.

Renovated small towers as of 2013.

Between 1963 and 1966 the bridge was widened, a

Świętokrzyski Bridge
in 2000).

In 2004 a reconstruction and beautification program of the bridge began. By 2005 the small towers and the first four spans had been rebuilt. The tramway track was modernized and rebuilt in 2007.

Gallery

  • Viaduct and small towers - north side, 1914
    Viaduct and small towers - north side, 1914
  • Viaduct and small towers - south side, 1914
    Viaduct and small towers - south side, 1914
  • The bridge before the First World War, 1914.
    The bridge before the First World War, 1914.
  • The bridge before the First World War, 1914.
    The bridge before the First World War, 1914.
  • Bridge being rebuilt shortly before the fire of 1915
    Bridge being rebuilt shortly before the fire of 1915
  • Poniatowski Bridge after being blown up by the Russian Army in 1915
    Poniatowski Bridge after being blown up by the Russian Army in 1915
  • Marshall Józef Piłsudski on Poniatowski Bridge, 1926.
    Marshall Józef Piłsudski on Poniatowski Bridge, 1926.
  • The bridge in the interwar period (1936 or earlier).
    The bridge in the interwar period (1936 or earlier).
  • Poniatowski Bridge - from below.
    Poniatowski Bridge - from below.
  • Poniatowski Bridge - from the river.
    Poniatowski Bridge - from the river.

See also

  • Łazienkowski Bridge
  • Siekierkowski Bridge
  • Świętokrzyski Bridge

References

  1. River Vistula recently came into operation in Warsaw...". Autocar
    . Vol. 125 (nbr 3679). 19 August 1966. p. 412.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Poniatowski Bridge.
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