Widawski Bridge

Widawski Bridge carries Sułowska street over the Widawa river, in the Widawa housing estate in Wrocław, continuing on to an island formed by the river's branches. It is one of the few crossings in this part of the city, so for the residents of Widawa and Psary it is a daily route, not just a viewpoint over the river.

Construction and appearance

The structure has a single span with a two-hinged load-bearing system, in an arch arrangement with a tie rod, built using reinforced concrete technology. The road surface is bituminous, and the permitted vehicle weight is 30 tonnes.

History of the crossing

A crossing existed on this spot long before the current bridge - a wooden structure on which tolls were collected from 1266, first for the benefit of Duke Władysław, Archbishop of Salzburg, and after his death successively for Henry III the White and Henry IV the Righteous. Today's reinforced concrete bridge was built in 1951. Next to it, the abutments have survived on which the bridge of the Wrocław-Trzebnica narrow-gauge railway used to rest.

Change of road classification

Until 22 December 2017 the bridge lay on national road no. 5 and European route E261 - both were later rerouted on a new course towards Poznań. In 2012-2017 the structure underwent a thorough renovation, during which traffic ran on a temporary crossing built nearby. Since December 2020 the bridge has belonged to voivodeship road no. 359.

Practical information

• Wrocław, Widawa housing estate, on Sułowska street over the Widawa river
• Access: voivodeship road no. 359 from the centre of Wrocław towards Trzebnica
• The road bridge is open, with no restrictions for pedestrians - it's worth checking the current state of the surface and traffic before a longer walk in this area