Branko's Bridge

Branko's Bridge is a steel box girder structure that crosses the Sava River over 450 meters, linking central Belgrade to New Belgrade with three traffic lanes running in each direction. The construction rests on heavy concrete piers in the riverbed and carries traffic in a gentle rise over the water, while the embankments on both sides are lined with walking and cycling paths.

The crossing opened in 1956 and reused the foundations of the King Alexander Bridge from 1934, which German forces demolished during World War II. The reconstruction aimed to reconnect the two halves of the city after the war and handle the growing traffic toward New Belgrade.

The structure takes its name from Serbian poet Branko Radičević, whose romantic verses about freedom and nature are still read in Serbian schools today. During the communist period it was officially called the Brotherhood and Unity Bridge, but residents already used the shorter, poetic name in everyday conversation.

The crossing handles roughly 90,000 vehicles each day and offers separated paths for walkers and cyclists on both sides. Morning and evening commuter traffic can cause delays on the roadway, but the footpaths remain open throughout.

The surviving pylons from the original King Alexander Bridge show decorative elements that sculptor Ivan Meštrović designed in Serbo-Byzantine architectural style. These stone pieces still stand on the riverbanks and recall the architectural thinking of the interwar years, even though the modern steel construction passes over them.