Łazienkowski Bridge

The Łazienkowski Bridge in Warsaw, built between 1971 and 1974, is a key element of the Łazienkowska Route and the Vistula River road infrastructure. It was used as part of the international E8 route and the national road No. 2, and its construction brought significant changes to traffic flow, reducing the load on the nearby Poniatowski Bridge by 25%. The bridge features a steel structure with an orthotropic deck, which reduced its weight by 30% and cut construction costs by 50 million złoty. Together with its abutments and approach viaducts, it forms a complex transportation network, including grade-separated interchanges. Two fires in the bridge's history had serious consequences: the first in 1975 destroyed part of the structure, while a much more severe one occurred in 2015, damaging a large portion of the bridge. The fire was extinguished after 12 hours, and following an expert assessment, the decision was made to reconstruct it. Culturally, the bridge gained additional significance when it was named after General Zygmunt Berling in 1981, and a monument in his honor was unveiled nearby in 1985. In 1998, the name Łazienkowski was restored. In 2017, pedestrian and cyclist footpaths were opened beneath the bridge, improving accessibility for people with disabilities. An interesting fact is that the bridge's structural elements were transported by rail, and assembly took place at night under floodlights. The 2015 fire was deemed an act of arson, but the perpetrators were never identified. A fragment of the burned bridge was placed in the Pontiseum, underscoring its importance in collective memory.