Bascule bridge in Sobieszewo, Bascule bridge over the Martwa Wisła in Gdańsk, Poland

The bascule bridge in Sobieszewo is a steel structure spanning approximately 180 meters that connects Wyspa Sobieszewska Island to the mainland. It features a lifting mechanism that raises the roadway for watercraft while allowing regular vehicle and pedestrian traffic to continue operating throughout the day.

The bridge opened in 2018 with a name commemorating Poland's independence centennial. Its completion ended the island's transportation isolation and established the first permanent road connection to the mainland.

The bridge's name, proposed by mayor Paweł Adamowicz in August 2017, marks the centenary of Poland regaining independence in 1918. It replaced the Sobieszewo pontoon bridge, in use from 1973 to 2018 and the longest pontoon bridge in Poland, where traffic waited long while pontoons swung aside for passing ships and heavy lorries crossed by ferry.

The bridge may briefly halt vehicle traffic when raising for watercraft, which can cause short delays. It is helpful to allow extra time if visiting during peak shipping hours, though disruptions are generally brief.

The bridge's two 320-tonne bascule spans were installed in July 2018, lifted into place from barges. Its predecessor, the Sobieszewo pontoon bridge, was Poland's longest pontoon bridge, operating from 1973 to 2018; heavy lorries had to be carried across by ferry.