This is how Venice’s old bicycle bridge was dismantled

Following the successful opening of the new bridge on the M7 motorway on 6 May 2026 opened to traffic the pedestrian and cycle bridge built near Velence, spanning the M7 motorway, the time has come to demolish the old bridge. MKIF Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt. We have reported regularly on the progress of this project. The arch bridge designed by Főmterv Zrt. was already the subject of received international professional recognition.

According to information provided by the experts at MKIF, the process of demolishing the old bridge consisted of four stages:

• preparatory work (installation of temporary structures, preparation of lifting points by means of preliminary drilling and cutting). Excavation of buried structures (e.g. bridge abutments, foundations);
• the lifting, cutting up and removal of the bridge deck structure between the inclined supports, followed by the dismantling, cutting up and removal of the remaining bridge structure adjacent to the track side facing Lake Balaton;
• dismantling, cutting up and removing the remaining bridge structure on the side facing the capital;
• finishing work (slope grading, topsoiling, planting, fence construction).

The work was carried out in accordance with the approved demolition plan. Due to its structural design, the bridge was cut into smaller sections; following demolition and lifting, the bridge sections were removed from the site.

„We used cranes to lift the dismantled structural elements, loaded them onto transport vehicles and took them away,” they emphasised.

It took two weekends

As the aim was to carry out the demolition with the least possible disruption to traffic, this was only possible at weekends and at night, based on traffic data from previous years. However, due to the time required for the complex work and the specific characteristics of the structure, it would not have been possible to demolish the bridge in a single weekend, so the work was carried out in two phases. On the night of 9–10 May, from Saturday into Sunday, a significant portion of the structure was removed, and the final sections were taken down on the night of 16–17 May. The preparatory and follow-up work was carried out on weekdays, with the help of mobile traffic diversions.

During the preparatory work, the bridge structure was anchored to the abutments to ensure that the remaining structural elements would remain stable (and not collapse) once the central section of the bridge (the part between the inclined supports) had been dismantled.

They were also able to prepare the lifting points in advance, where the structural elements could be secured to the cranes. This required pre-drilling, cutting and minor demolition work. They also had to arrange for the excavation of structural elements covered by earth (bridge abutments, piers, foundations) to ensure that the demolition proceeded as smoothly as possible.

The bridge was dismantled using disc and wire-cutter tools

The contractors had to cut the unpacked components into pieces small enough to be transported by road, with both size and weight being key factors. The aim was to ensure that the components could be transported using the smallest possible number of lorries.

„We cut the individual sections using disc and cable cutters, broke up the main structures with hydraulic breakers, and lifted them out using mobile cranes,” they explained.

The safety of workers and road users is the top priority

The specialists had to pay particular attention to the overhanging load of the bridge sections being moved and the reach of the cranes, as the new bridge was situated very close to the demolition site. During the preparatory cutting and drilling work, special care was also taken to protect workers from falling.

Although the preparatory and finishing work took place during the week, with mobile diversions in place, the actual demolition work required two half-lane closures (affecting the right and left lanes) and a brief full-lane closure. In addition, for short periods, lane closures were implemented alongside mobile diversions both before and after the full lane closures.

The dismantling operation required the coordinated and precise efforts of nearly a hundred specialists, and the work was also supported by a total of three specialised cranes (one with a lifting capacity of 650 tonnes and two with a capacity of 400 tonnes each), as the two smaller sections of the bridge weighed 46 tonnes each, whilst the section between the two supports weighed 96 tonnes. These three machines were essential for lifting them safely.