The president of Bratislava Region, Pavol Frešo, welcomed the reopening of Bratislava’s Old Bridge on January 7 for pedestrians and cyclists. The Old Bridge connects the historic centre of Bratislava with the large residential area of Petržalka across the Danube River. Frešo told the TASR newswire that he is pleased that the bridge has been reopened at least for pedestrians and bikers, adding that the bridge is important from a historical point of view. “This construction, more than one hundred years old, has been connecting the right and the left banks of the Danube River and thus it helped to create Bratislava. Today, that situation has returned and I am very pleased with the reopening and the bridge being made available at least partially to the public,” Frešo stated.
The Old Bridge was closed to all vehicles in January 2009 and it was closed to pedestrians and cyclists as well in May 2010 due its poor condition, being rated at the worst, seventh-level of disrepair. After the road and the concrete base of the bridge surface were removed, the bridge is 1,200 tonnes lighter and it has been deemed safe for pedestrians and cyclists.