Pilczycki Bridge

Pilczycki Bridge, more precisely the old Pilczycki Bridge, carries Lotnicza and Kosmonautów streets over the Ślęza, linking the right-bank district of Pilczyce with the left-bank district of Żerniki.

A road-and-tram bridge

Two tram tracks run along the roadway, belonging to the line to Leśnica. After the new Pilczycki Bridge was built north of this structure, car traffic was moved to the new crossing, and the old bridge came to serve mainly trams, with local access for cars.

Rebuilt in 1959

The present-day bridge was rebuilt in 1959 as a two-span steel structure, with girders made from I-beam sections. It is 24.2 metres long and 10.3 metres wide overall, with a 7-metre-wide carriageway, and the surface is paved with granite setts.

1991 accident

On 14 April 1991, a tram on line 10 heading towards Leśnica derailed on the bridge and fell onto the riverbank. The accident was caused by stones wedged into the tram tracks.

Temporary detour

During the construction of the Wrocław Motorway Bypass and the rebuilding of Lotnicza street together with the new bridge, the old Pilczycki Bridge serves as a temporary crossing, providing the necessary detour.

Nearby

A few kilometres from the bridge lie Park Zachodni in Wrocław and the Zajezdnia History Centre.

Practical information

• Location: Lotnicza and Kosmonautów streets over the Ślęza, between Pilczyce and Żerniki, Wrocław
• Getting there: the tram line to Leśnica, car traffic mainly local
• What to expect: an active road-and-tram crossing, with no tourist attractions on the bridge itself