Plans for three new bridges in Zagreb

(Photo: Branko Radovanović/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Zagreb’s General Urban Plan (GUP) is set to undergo significant amendments, impacting the city’s transport infrastructure.

With public consultation open until 12th July, the proposed changes include the construction of three new bridges in the western part of the city.

These developments aim to enhance connectivity and accommodate the city’s ongoing growth, with a focus on balancing the needs of road, tram, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic.

Since the 1970s, Zagreb’s General Urban Plan (GUP) has included the construction of three new bridges in the western part of the city, spanning the area between the Jadranski and Jankomir bridges.

The proposed amendments to the GUP retain all existing transport corridors and the planned bridges over the Sava River.

At the start of the public consultation on the GUP amendments, Mayor Tomislav Tomašević announced to the media that the character of the “eastern Jarun bridge” is proposed to change from a road bridge to a pedestrian and bicycle bridge.

This is due to its proximity to the Jadranski bridge, which accommodates both road and tram traffic, and the lack of a road connection on the southern side of the bridge.

The pedestrian and bicycle bridge, located east of Lake Jarun, will link the sports facilities of Arena, Mladost, and RSC Jarun, as well as the residents of Lanište and Jarun neighbourhoods.

An architectural and urban planning competition is required for this bridge, with the planned construction completion date set for the end of 2027, subject to the resolution of property rights issues.

The other two road bridges, further west, are the “western Jarun bridge” and the “Savska Opatovina bridge.”

(Photo: Grad Zagreb)

Both are essential given the city’s size and ongoing development, particularly with the rapid residential growth in the Stenjevec district.

However, considering the existing population density in the Podsused Vrapče, Stenjevec, and Trešnjevka Jug districts, the city administration prioritises the construction of the “western Jarun bridge,” which is also the focus of a traffic study commissioned by the City of Zagreb.

“The western Jarun bridge is intended for road and tram transport, as well as for pedestrians and cyclists. It is strategically important for establishing a tram network to the future National Children’s Hospital in Blato and significantly improving the overall transport connectivity of the western part of the city.

(Photo: Suradnik13/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Based on the architectural competition and the status of property rights issues, we plan to build and open the western Jarun bridge to traffic by the end of 2028,” stated Mayor Tomašević.

Regarding the “Savska Opatovina bridge,” it is estimated that due to less favourable property rights status, the need for an architectural and urban planning competition, and the construction of connecting roads, this road bridge can be built no earlier than 2031.