The Cross-City Bridge, located on the Vistula in Warsaw, is a key element of the capital’s railway infrastructure. This crossing, which is part of the cross-city line (a railway line connecting the nodal stations of East and West Warsaw), connects the Central Station with the East Station, and its history dates back to 1921-1931, when the first version of the bridge was built. During the post-war reconstruction, it was decided to modify the structure, which significantly affected its current appearance.
The bridge was designed by engineer Aleksander Pstrokoński. Construction began in 1921, but due to financial problems it took more than a decade. Eventually, the construction was entrusted to the Polish Building Society. The bridge pillars were erected on stone foundations using a pneumatic method. On them rested a metal structure with five spans of more than 90 metres each. The high trussed arches gave the bridge its distinctive appearance, and the main assembly work was carried out by K. Rudzki and S-ka. As part of the project, a viaduct was also erected running over the streets of Powiśle.
End of the 1930s Source: Przypkowski Museum in Jędrzejów
Unfortunately, the bridge did not survive the difficult years of World War II. on 13 September 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising and fighting in the Praga district, the Germans blew up the bridge, destroying it almost completely. Warsaw then lost one of its key transport links.
Remains of the bridge blown up by the Germans in 1945 and the structure today. Source: Digital Museum Station and Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons
After the war, between 1945 and 1949, the decision was made to rebuild the cross-town bridge. The new design by Franciszek Szelągowski included some changes – the bridge pillars were lowered by 5 metres and the structure itself was given a new layout. During discussions on the reconstruction of the crossing, it was argued, among other things, that the pre-war structure had a negative impact on the landscape of the Vistula River. Originally, the bridge was suspended from the arches of the spans, but after the reconstruction the spans rested on these arches. The new version of the bridge was opened on 23 June 1949. It has five spans and a length of 445 metres.
The Cross-City Bridge in 1932 and 2022. Source: National Digital Archives and Google Maps
Interestingly, during the reconstruction it was decided to prepare the bridge for future railway development. Twin pillars were built which were used to build a second parallel bridge in the 1960s, providing additional railway tracks. Today, the bridge consists of two independent piers, each with two railway tracks. The tracks on the north side are used by long-distance trains, while those on the south side are used by commuter trains.
Source: warszawa1939.pl, warszawa.fandom.com
Read also: History | Monuments | Warsaw | Curiosities | Architecture in Poland
