Pieces of key Budapest bridge crumble, stoking concerns

Several large pieces of concrete fell from Budapest's Margaret bridge yesterday on to the road below, leading to further fears for the structural integrity of one of the city's key river crossings.

The incident occurred as thousands of onlookers were clustered on and around the bridge during the Red Bull-sponsored "air race" that preceded this year's Aug. 20 fireworks. Firemen who went to the scene removed the fallen pieces, as well as some fragments that were left hanging by the failure.

"The falling [cement] won't affect the bridge's structure, as only its edge has been become damaged," said Ferenc Virág, a fire department official quoted by portal index.hu.

A scheduled renovation of the bridge has been delayed since 1995, despite the warnings of some experts that such repairs are urgently needed. Currently, work on the bridge is expected to start in 2008 in the earliest, at which point the M0 highway circling Budapest is expected to be completed.

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