Żernicki Bridge

Żernicki Bridge carries Żernicka street over the Ślęza river, on the Żerniki estate in Wrocław. It is a road crossing used by cars and city buses, as distinct from the neighbouring pedestrian and cycle footbridge standing right next to it.

History of the bridge

The bridge was built in 1932. After the war, in 1952, it was rebuilt on the same, old piers. The bridge's German name, Lohebrücke, simply meant bridge on the Ślęza, and that was the name given to all the bridges over this river in the area at the time. The second part of the former name, Neukirch, referred to the earlier name of Żernicka street, Neukircher Straße, in use from 8 August 1933.

Construction

The bridge is 37.3 m long overall and 7.3 m wide, of which 5.9 m is the carriageway and 0.7 m the pavements. It consists of three spans, the load-bearing structure is a ribbed slab, built in reinforced concrete technology, and the surface is bituminous. City bus lines serving the eastern estates of Wrocław (numbers 109, 129, 148 and 609) run across the bridge.

Footbridge next to the bridge

The insufficient width of the carriageway and pavements meant that in 2007 a separate pedestrian and cycle footbridge was built parallel to the bridge. Since then the bridge and the footbridge have been two separate structures side by side, each with a different purpose.

Rebuilding in 2017 and 2018

In October 2017 the bridge was closed to traffic due to the need to demolish it and build a new structure, and a temporary crossing was erected right next to it. In December 2017 the pile driving for the foundations of the new bridge was completed; the new bridge was planned to be 61 m long, noticeably more than its predecessor, and 1.5 m higher. Opening to road traffic was planned for 17 August 2018, to be followed by renovation of the neighbouring pedestrian and cycle footbridge.

Practical information

• Location: over the Ślęza on the Żerniki estate in Wrocław, on Żernicka street.
• Getting there: by bus lines 109, 129, 148 or 609, on foot and by bike via the neighbouring footbridge, continuing towards Park Zachodni.
• What to expect: an ordinary road bridge with no scenic value, interesting mainly for the history of its rebuilding and its proximity to the pedestrian and cycle footbridge.