Record-breaking M8 bridge opens up to road traffic

Hungary's longest bridge will officially be opened to road traffic by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány Monday afternoon. The bridge over the Danube at Dunaújváros connects two sections of the M8 motorway and will be known by the name of Pentele after the village that once stood in place of today's town. Crowds gathered on Sunday strolled along the four lanes of road surface admiring the new construction, which is the largest of its type in the world.

Pentele Bridge is the longest "basket handle" bridge in the world, exceeding the previous longest, in Osaka, Japan, by 60 meters. The giant 307.9-meter structure was constructed on the riverbank and manoeuvred into place last year. In addition to the main section, the new bridge comprises two smaller conventional bridges spanning the wetlands on the two banks of the river - one of which is nearly one kilometer long, while the other extends for 300 meters. This is Hungary's first bridge built using this method.

The investment cost Ft 43 billion (€175 million), or Ft 54 billion (€220 million) including the network of connecting roads and bridges. The bridge forms part of the planned M8 motorway that will make a direct connection between western Hungary and the plains to the east, providing access to Route 6 (later M6) from Route 51.

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