HISTORY OF THE MARIAN BRIDGE

Brief History of the Project
In Ústí nad Labem, there had been only a single road bridge crossing the river Elbe before realisation of the Marian bridge. The nearest bridges had been located in Litoměřice and Děčín, which is 25km to both sides. In 1993, the decision was made to build the new bridge and related structures at the expenses of the budget of Ústí nad Labem. The complex preparation of the project was assigned to the company CityPlan, spol. s r.o., with cooperation of the architectural office Roman Koutský and the design office of Ústí nad Labem Urban. The company CityPlan spol. s r.o. processed also tender specification documents and organised procedures of the international tender for a contractor, which was won by the company Hutní montáže Ostrava, a.s. Based on another public tender, the company CityPlan was responsible for remaining stages of complex engineering works on complete implementation of the structure, including supervision and construction management performed for the investor, the city of Ústí nad Labem.

Overall Characteristics of the Structure

The new bridge connects the three parts of the city: the city centre and Krásné Březno on the left bank, and Střekov on the right bank of the river Elbe. The bridging itself utilises some of the existing roads, however, it was necessary to construct number of new structures. The complex consists of 42 objects, including several kilometers of roads, retaining and embankment walls, etc., which comprises about 45% of total costs. The bridge itself covers 55% of the total price of the structure, which is approximately 230mil. CZK.

Philosophy of the Bridge Solution

Location of the bridge directly under the Marian rock initiated the idea to maximally lighten the bridge. The authors of the design, Ing. Milan Komínek and Ing. Arch. Roman Koucký, chose the asymmetrical shape of the suspended construction, no counter-hangers in the shortened outer field and the system of paired suspended planes in the main field. The idea of the solution of the outer field lacking hangers had several reasons, and it had impact on the solution of the pylon, form of which logically corresponds with static rules, most of all the rule of ensuring balance of powers between the suspended main long field and the short outer field. This solid part of the bridge was from the initial concept already considered as the important condition for the construction method, in order to serve as a base, from which the remaining part of the horizontal load carrying structure will be erected, due to the fact, that the only space available for establishing a construction site was on the right bank of the river by Střekov.

Construction Solutions of the Bridge
The bridging itself consists of two separate bridge structures - the main suspended bridge over the Elbe river and the approach bridge ramps under the Marian rock. The main object has in the longitudinal direction the shape of an asymmetrical suspended bridge with two fields with the span of 123,5m + 55,5m with one sloped inclined pylon with the height above the bridge deck of 60m and the total height above the baseplate of 75m. The bridge deck is supported by the system of 15 pairs of hangers of half-harp arrangement. The horizontal load carrying structure is a maximally lightened unicameral girder with consoles designed for 4 road lanes, the central part of the transversal section, separated from the road by hangers, is intended for pedestrians and cyclists. The total outline width of the bridge deck is 26,1 m.

Main Used Materials

As a result of static analyses, all major materials used in bridge construction had been used for construction of the Marian bridge, such as steel, reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete, applied where most appropriate in terms of statics. At the main suspended bridge, the lower part of the pylon is from prestressed concrete, the bottom structure and foundation is from reinforced concrete. The interjacent supports of riverbank ramps are visibly minimised and, therefore, they were designed as thin steel props. The horizontal load carrying construction of ramps is made of yoked steel-concrete. The main suspended bridge is solved as a steel beam with long consoles and steel orthotropic plate. Also, the main part of the pylon, including the parapets, is from steel, while the outer field is made of steel bearers with yoked reinforced concrete plate.
The proposal of material for the main field of the suspended bridge and the pylon logically led, with its shape and static system, to maximal lightening of the bridge by steel.
Insulation of the bridge is made of adjusted asphalt modified belts protected by a layer of mastic asphalt, while the steel bridge deck of the main suspended field is provided with a seal coat.
Steel constructions are protected by the multilayer coat system Hempel's. The steel parts of the bridge are in two shades of light metallic grey, only the wings between the walls of the pylon and handrails of the pavement are painted blue. 

 Ing. Milan Komínek

• Structural Engineering International, Nov. 1998, SEI Vol. 8, Number 4
• Structural Engineering International, Feb 2001, SEI Vol. 11, Number 1
• CIVIL ENGINEERING, April 1998  
• CABLE – STAYED BRIDGE WITH A SINGLE PYLON IN CZECH REPUBLIC - abbreviated text from the lecture presented by Ing. M. Komínek and published in the collection of 14th INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE CONFERENCE – Pittsburgh - June 1997
• CABLE – STAYED BRIDGE WITH A SINGLE PYLON IN CZECH REPUBLIC - abbreviated text from the lecture presented by Ing. M. Komínek and published in the collection IABSE SYMPOSIUM Long-Span and High-Rise Strures-KOBE 1998
• CABLE – STAYED MARIANSKY BRIDGE in Ústí nad Labem - abbreviated text from the lecture presented by Ing. M. Komínek and published in the collection IABSE SYMPOSIUM Structures for the Future - The Search for Quality - RIO DE JANEIRO 1999
• Bridge design & engineering – November 1997 – article of Ing. M. Komínek in the magazine
• NEUE SCHRAGSEILBRUCKE UBER DIE ELBE IN AUSSIG - article in German magazine STAHLBAU 1/1999
• NOWE KSZTALTY MOSTOW ZAWIESZONYCH NA CIEGNACH – article in the Polish magazine ARCHITEKTURA 7/1999
• DYWIDAG - SYSTEM INTERNATIONAL 1 
• DYWDAG - SYSTEM INTERNATIONAL 2 

• Marian bridge in Ústí nad Labem - publication summarising basic information about project preparation and implementation of work
• Suspended Marian bridge in Ústí nad Labem won the European price ECCS – article of Ing. M. Komínek published in a special edition of the magazine of the Czech Chamber of Authorised Engineers and Technicians – ČKAIT, Prague 2000
• New symbol of the city - article published in the magazine “Stavební a investorské noviny”, volume VI, 1999
• Suspended road bridge over the Elbe river under the Marian rock in Ústí nad Labem – article in the magazine “Fórum architektury a stavebnictví”, no. 3/1998
• Suspended road bridge over the Elbe river in Ústí nad Labem – article in the magazine “Silniční obzor”, no.8/1997
• New bridge in Ústí nad Labem put into operation – article in the magazine “Stavební listy”, no. 9/98
• Footbridge by the Congress Centre in Prague - article published in the magazine “Zlatý řez”, no.16, describing similarities and parallels with the Marian bridge
• Bridge was born - article in the magazine “Večerník Praha”, 1998
• Suspended road bridge over the Elbe river in Ústí nad Labem - lecture presented by Ing. M. Komínek on the 3rd international symposium on Bridges, 1998, Brno
• Wide range of leaflets and publications of the city of Ústí nad Labem dealing primarily with Marian bridge and its symbolism
• “Doprava”, no.3/98 - technical economic review
• “Moderní obec”, no.9 – September 1998
• “Region” - invitation to the ceremonial opening of the Marian bridge

• 1999 – ECCS – Design Awards 1999 
  • European Design Awards - a prize awarded once every 2 years to significant European structures by the association European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS), the European prize for co-authorship of the bridge
  •  Memorial plaque of the European prize ECCS – Design Awards 1999
  • Press release on the acquisition of the European prize
  • Article published in a special edition of the magazine ČKAIT
  • Link on photos of accepting the award here
• 2000 – Structure of the Marian Bridge was proclaimed as one of 10 most significant bridge and engineering structures of the world in the last decade of the 20th century by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), the largest and oldest association of bridge and construction engineers joining together 100 national associations from around the world
• 2001 - Marian bridge was proclaimed as the top structure of the last decade in the North-Bohemian region

• Interesting moment with the President Václav Havel by the model of the Marian bridge
• Photos from the opening ceremony of the Marian bridge
• Memorial plaque of the Marian bridge