A-Hid won the bid for a landmark suspension bridge renovation project in Budapest, Hungary, for 51.1 million euros.

The Budapest Public Transport Center announced the transaction, noting that the work is scheduled to begin at the end of February 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2023.

Széchenyi chain bridge history

BKK has received four bids for the city’s Széchenyi chain bridge renovation. The 380m long and 14.8m wide suspension bridge was built between 1839 and 1849. After opening to traffic, it became the first permanent bridge on the Danube connecting Buda and Pest (the capital of Hungary). At that time, its central span of 202 meters was one of the longest buildings in the world.

The cast iron structure of the bridge was updated and strengthened in 1914. During World War II, the bridge was blown up by retreating Germans in January 1945. Only the tower stood, but it was reopened after extensive reconstruction in 1949.

The Szechenyi Chain Bridge is one of the only two remaining bridges designed by British engineer William Tierney Clark. The other is a suspension bridge over the Thames in Marlow, London, England.

People have been looking forward to the refurbishment of the historic Szechenyi Chain Bridge and the nearby road tunnel, which was once shelved due to cost issues. The Budapest City Government recently announced that it will bear the cost of the renovation project because there are concerns that the federal government’s loans for some projects may not be approved.

A-HID recently completed a two-year major renovation of the Queen Elizabeth Bridge in the Tokaj wine region in northeastern Hungary, about 230 kilometers from Budapest. The bridge across the Tisza River was widened to accommodate bicycle paths and sidewalks. According to the construction company, other projects include rebuilding the concrete edges, replacing railings, improving cladding and overhauling the lighting system. Editor/Sang Xiaomei