Construction and investment minister, János Lázár, announced that a new bridge over the River Danube near Mohács will be completed by the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács. The 1526 battle was pivotal in the history of Hungary, leading to the defeat and death of Louis II and the partitioning of the nation at the hands of Suelman the Magnificent. The bridge, which PM Viktor Orbán supported, mentioning the need for unification between Western and Eastern provinces of Pannonia and Hunnia, will be 750 metres long, 18,000 m2 in area and will have 2X2 lanes and a bike lane as part of the EuroVelo system. The project, which was initially planned for 1.5-2 years, took longer than expected to start. The final plans were accepted in January. The cost of the bridge is estimated to be over HUF 100 billion (€267m), which the government aims to cover the costs with EU funds – although Hungary has not received the funds yet.
The bridge is slated to look quite futuristic, making a fine addition to other quirky Hungarian bridges such as Budapest’s Bargit Bridge, with a 165º kink half way across its span and the Chain Bridge which looks almost identical to Hammersmith Bridge in London, having been built by the same architects.
