Liberty Bridge, Cantilever bridge in Budapest, Hungary
The Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) is a green-painted steel cantilever truss bridge over the Danube in Budapest, 333.6 m long and 20.1 m wide. Its deck is carried by a deep lattice truss of crisscrossing green members, with two tapering green towers topped by bronze Turul bird figures. Slender lamp posts with curved arms line the span, and a pale stone pier stands in the water.
The bridge opened in 1896 for the millennial celebration of Hungary and received its original name in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph. After destruction during World War II, it was rebuilt and renamed Liberty Bridge in 1946.
The pillars carry turul sculptures, mythological birds from Hungarian folklore that remain national symbols today. The original silver rivet hammered by Emperor Franz Joseph is still visible at the Pest bridgehead, recalling the ceremonial opening.
Tram lines 47, 48, and 49 cross the bridge daily, linking Fővám Square with its Central Market Hall on the Pest side to Szent Gellért Square near Gellért Thermal Bath on the Buda side. Pedestrians can use sidewalks on both sides of the roadway to cross the Danube, enjoying open views of the river.
The bridge's slender cantilever structure is held in balance by about 6,090 quintals of cast-iron counterweight at each end, installed between February and May 1896. The suspended middle span, 46.9 metres long, rests on the cantilever ends via rocking columns, allowing thermal expansion.
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