In the next two months, work will begin on the reconstruction of the former railway bridge over the Sava River, which will be converted into a pedestrian bridge with observation decks and rest areas, Finance Minister Siniša Mali announced on social media. Although the bridge lost its original purpose due to the relocation of railway traffic, it will be preserved, revitalized, and transformed into a pedestrian link between the two banks of the Sava River.
The new pedestrian access on the New Belgrade side will be through a park, and the bridge will form part of a future promenade connecting New Belgrade with Vojvode Mišić Boulevard and, eventually, with Topčider. In addition to the pedestrian path, the bridge will feature several amenities, including rest areas and viewpoints offering scenic views of the river, the old city, and New Belgrade.
The old railway bridge ceased to serve its original purpose on July 1, 2018, when the Main Railway Station in Belgrade, operating since 1884, was fully closed. Traffic was transferred to the new railway bridge and the unfinished Prokop station. Prior to its closure, trains crossed the bridge at a reduced speed of just 9 km/h, a fact visible on the displays of the Stadler regional trains that were the last to use the bridge.
Since its closure, there has been ongoing debate about what to do with the bridge, but it was always intended to be repurposed rather than demolished. Over the past decade, various proposals have been discussed, including converting it into a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, or even a tram bridge, depending on the results of static tests. However, the city has not moved forward with those plans. Early renderings of the bridge’s future appearance included cafés and shops, but these ideas were abandoned, likely due to concerns over the bridge’s dimensions. Current designs show a more modest transformation, with pedestrian paths, greenery, and viewpoints.
Despite some criticism from engineers and traffic experts regarding the feasibility of the current designs, which they argue are unrealistic given the bridge’s width, the project is moving forward. There has been little discussion about the bridge’s height above the river, even though it is visibly lower than other bridges in Belgrade.
The Old Railway Bridge, built in 1884, was the first permanent bridge in central Belgrade. It has undergone multiple reconstructions, the most recent after World War II. The bridge was initially supposed to have a twin, but the Nazi occupation halted the construction. Remnants of this unfinished second bridge can still be seen on the Sava’s banks today. An interesting historical note is that the Old Railway Bridge was never painted because its designers failed to account for the weight of the paint. It was the only railway bridge over the Sava River in Belgrade until 1979, when a new railway bridge was constructed.
