Four new bridges to be built in the heart of the former industrial city

In April, work began on the implementation of STRABAG, a project to develop the transport network and renovate public spaces in the centre of Ajka. As part of the project, the company's experts are building a new transport hub and four bridges.

New roundabout to make the city centre more accessible

During the comprehensive project, which will transform the image of the city centre, the Municipality of Ajka will renovate and widen Deák Ferenc Street along the Torna Stream and its pavements, as well as install street lighting and telecommunications equipment in this section, in addition to the necessary utility replacements. Pedestrian traffic will also be improved on the section from the bridge near the Nagy László Municipal Cultural Centre to Bródy Street, where the pavements will also be widened. A new pedestrian crossing point will be built near the centre, and a cycle path will also be built from here to the roundabout on Csingeri út.

A new six-metre wide roundabout junction with four exits will be constructed at the Rákóczi Ferenc Street intersection of the corridor, while the east and west branches of the intersection will be realigned.

One of the bridges is built with STRABAG's own bridge beams

Perhaps the most spectacular elements of the construction are the bridges. STRABAG will revitalise the 1970s city centre with four new bridges.
The project includes a road crossing over the Tornado Creek north of the new roundabout. The six-metre wide bridge will have two supports and a span of 10.6 metres.

For the construction of the straight line crossing, 13 bridge girders of STRABAG's own design will be used.

A similar solution was used for one of the bridges on Route 67. For more information about this innovative solution, see here.

From destruction to rebirth

The Torna stream environment and its bed will be regenerated in two phases. The reconstruction of the bed of the Torna stream, which bisects Ajka, has been a long-standing desire of the municipality. According to the plans, the current infrastructure development will be followed by works aimed at revitalising the stream, in the course of which the riverbed will be rebuilt all the way to the border of Kislőd. The aim of these works is to ensure that the stream does not move out of its bed in the future when large amounts of rainfall fall, as has happened in recent years. In addition, the improvements will also help to strengthen the
habitat of the stream.

For a decade and a half, the name of the stream that originates in northern Bakony and winds its way to the mouth of the Marcal River has been in the news. After the industrial disaster in Kolontar, red sludge leaked into the watercourse and caused the Torná stream to cease to be active, with the flora and fauna completely extinct. As in the case of the Tisza after the cyanide pollution, the wildlife here is also slowly rehabilitating itself. This process is also supported by the planned riverbed reconstruction.

The bridges will also house the power and communication lines

The bridges over the Torna stream will be built by STRABAG specialists with special deep foundations. The long-distance footbridge will be 14 metres long and 3.70 metres wide, with the two supports 11.5 metres apart. The crossing, supported on drilled piles, will also allow the passage of the transmission lines in addition to pedestrians. In the first half of October, a crane lifted the bridge railing into place.

A similar level of completion has been reached for the second crossing in front of the police station. This section will be served by a bridge over three metres wide, 12 metres long and with a similar superstructure. The barriers for this bridge were also put in place in the first half of October.
The steel-framed crossing, supported on drilled piles, will also ensure the passage of communication cables between the two banks of the stream. The steel structure weighs approximately 5 tonnes.

The bridge is assembled in Lego style

In the design of the bridge structure, which was the work of the general contractor City-TEAM Pannon Ltd and i-quadrat hungária kft., the size of the galvanizing bath required for the surface treatment was a challenge. In the end, the engineers designed a bridge that could be assembled from several smaller structural elements, which the contractor's technicians would assemble on site.

The new bridges are adapted to the planned riverbed reconstruction

The most exciting of the bridges is the so-called Zigzag Bridge. The bridge, which is built on three supports, has a superstructure of 17.95 metres and, as its name suggests, varies in width from 2.5 to 5.2 metres.
The bridges have been designed and
will be constructed in such a way as to align with the next phase of the project, which will involve the rebuilding of the embankment.

The contractor STRABAG will also be responsible for the clean-up of the creek environment, including utility replacements, paving, landscaping and street furniture. The project also includes the reconstruction of the parking lot between the Torna creek and Liberty Square at the Helios shopping centre.
The works are planned to be completed in the first half of 2025.