Bridges of Budapest - Margaret Bridge

Margaret Bridge

Margaret Bridge is the second northernmost and second oldest public bridge in Budapest. It was planned by the French engineer Ernest Goüin and built between 1872-1876. Margaret Bridge became the second permanent bridge in Budapest after the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. This bridge leads across to Margaret Island, its two parts enclosing 150 degrees with each other at the embranchment towards the island. The reason for this unusual geometry lies in the fact the small extension to connect the Margaret Island was hastily inserted into the original design, but not built until two decades later due to lack of funds. It is 637.5 m in length and 25 m in width.

It was under complete reconstruction from 2009-2011. It was divided into two during the reconstruction so that all bus and tram traffic could pass it, except at the occasions of reconnecting the ground rails to the ones used on the bridge at the next stage. In the first phase, the public transport and pedestrians used the southern side, while the different parts of the north were simultaneously disassembled and reconstructed. Then the southern half was reconstructed, the temporary rails were on the north. The last stage was the unification, the building of the final rail in the middle, then the finalizing of contents directly related to the users of public and the historical reconstruction. The bridge was restored to its state in 1937, when it was most ornamented.