Old bridge over the Buna river in Shkodër, Steel bridge in Shkodër, Albania

The Old Bridge over the Buna River in Shkodër is a 180 m steel bridge on seven piers set at irregular intervals in the riverbed. One span could be opened by a manual mechanism, first to block entry from Montenegro and later to let boats pass between the Buna and Lake Shkodër. It now has a wooden deck and carries pedestrians only.

The Ottoman administration built the bridge in 1889 on the initiative of Shkodër governor Qazim Pasha and mayor Bektash Kazazi; it replaced an earlier wooden bridge. It was damaged during the Austro-Hungarian advance in World War I and again in 1944 during the German withdrawal. Rebuilt for pedestrians in 2017 with a wooden deck, it has been listed as a category II cultural monument since 2010.

The bridge's Albanian name, Ura e Vjetër e Bunës, is still used locally, and since 2011 the deck has carried only pedestrians. Its single opening span was worked by hand: first to block access from the Montenegrin side, later to let boats pass between the Buna and Lake Shkodër.

Since 2011 the bridge is reserved for pedestrians, after a new bridge opened 680 m downstream. It was rebuilt in 2017 as a footbridge with a wooden deck and a renewed coat of paint; the Albanian army took part in the work. The steel structure rests on seven piers set at irregular intervals in the riverbed.

The bridge features a manual opening mechanism that allowed boats to pass underneath. This detail reveals the advanced engineering knowledge applied during the late 1800s.