Maslenica Bridge: the steel arch that was destroyed and rebuilt
The Maslenica Bridge (Maslenički most) is a steel deck arch carrying the D8 coastal road over the Novsko Ždrilo strait, close to the village of Maslenica in northern Dalmatia. It stands 55 m above the sea on the site of a bridge destroyed in 1991, and it is a short detour from the Zadar area for anyone who likes engineering and dramatic scenery.
Croatia has two bridges called Maslenica, only 1.5 km apart, and locals call both of them “old” and “new”. The steel arch is the elder: it fell in 1991 and rose again in 2005.
The history of the Maslenica Bridge
The first Maslenica Bridge was designed by Vojislav Draganić. Construction was financed by the Croatian road enterprises association of the time and carried out by two Belgrade firms, Pionir and Mostogradnja, with the Maribor steelworks Metalna as the main subcontractor. It was finished at the end of 1960 and opened to traffic in January 1961. The builders chose the point where the channel is narrowest, only about 150 m wide, and spanned it with a steel arch of 155 m, welded apart from one riveted section, with the roadway about 55 m above the sea.
Heavy traffic and limited maintenance took their toll. By 1989 cracks had appeared in the cross-girders and in a pier, and freight traffic was stopped for about six months while the structure was strengthened. Work continued into 1990, shortly before the war.
On 21 November 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, the bridge was destroyed by explosives. It had been the last intact road link between Zagreb and Split in territory held by the Croatian government, which made its loss a heavy blow. After the area was recovered in early 1993, a pontoon bridge about 279 m long, made of five barges and linking pieces, opened in July 1993. It was shelled repeatedly, and barges were sometimes damaged or sunk and replaced, but it carried traffic until 1995. Meanwhile a new concrete arch bridge for the A1 motorway was built about 1.5 km away and opened in 1997.
In 2003 the road authority began the tender to rebuild the steel bridge in its original form. Only the pier foundations and the southern abutment survived, so the designers worked from the original drawings. They kept the main structure but updated it for modern building rules, especially for earthquake safety, and widened the roadway from 9.4 m to 10.5 m. The rebuilt Maslenica Bridge opened on 17 June 2005. At the opening it was announced as a second route for days when strong wind closes the motorway bridge, a role it still plays.
Curiosities about the Maslenica Bridge
- The A1 motorway bridge, built in 1997 about 1.5 km away, was given the same name, so both bridges are called “old” and “new” Maslenica Bridge depending on who you ask.
- The deck of the steel bridge is about 37 m lower than the motorway bridge, which crosses the strait at roughly 92 m above the sea.
- The rebuilt arch has a span of 155 m and a rise of 41.45 m, leaving 55 m of clearance below the bridge.
- The 2005 reconstruction used 1,556 tons of concrete and 210 tons of reinforcing steel, and the piers were clad in stone.
- The pontoon that replaced the bridge in 1993 was only 7.6 m wide and carried all road traffic between Zagreb and Split that avoided ferries and occupied territory.
- According to Wikipedia, the bridge offers Croatia's highest bungee jumping, at 56 m.
Tours near Maslenica Bridge
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Maslenica Bridge
- The bridge carries a public road, so most visitors simply cross it by car or look up at it from the shore of the strait. The sources say nothing about viewpoints or parking, so ask locally.
- Look at the long row of slender piers and columns rising from the slopes to the steel arch, and compare it with the concrete motorway bridge in the distance.
- The strait links the Adriatic with the inner Novigrad Sea; the villages of Maslenica and Posedarje lie on either side.
- On windy days the motorway bridge may be closed to traffic, and the D8 route over this bridge is the alternative.
- Zadar's Sea Organ and Monument to the Sun are about 28 km away, and the Paški most is about 24 km away.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Maslenica Bridge is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Maslenica Bridge
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Questions
Where is the Maslenica Bridge?
It spans the Novsko Ždrilo strait on the D8 road, about 1 km west of the village of Maslenica in northern Dalmatia, around 500 m south of the D8 and D54 junction.
Why are there two Maslenica bridges?
The older steel arch carries the D8 coastal road, while a concrete arch bridge built in 1997 about 1.5 km away carries the A1 motorway. Both are called the Maslenica Bridge.
What happened to the original Maslenica Bridge?
It was destroyed by explosives on 21 November 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence. It was rebuilt on the same site and reopened on 17 June 2005.
How long and how high is the Maslenica Bridge?
It is about 315 m long and its steel arch spans 155 m. The roadway is around 55 m above the sea.
Is the old Maslenica Bridge still used?
Yes. It carries the D8 road and is used as an alternative route when strong wind closes the nearby motorway bridge.
What can you do near the Maslenica Bridge?
The bridge sits between Zadar and the Velebit coast, and Zadar's Sea Organ and Monument to the Sun are about 28 km away.
Also nearby
Pag Bridge
Pag Bridge · 1968 concrete arch battered by the bora
24 km away
Church of St Donatus
Zadar · round Pre-Romanesque church built on the Roman forum
27 km away
Monument to the Sun
Zadar · solar-powered light circle next to the Sea Organ
28 km away
Sea Organ
Zadar · marble steps that play music with the sea
28 km away