Budapest, May 9, 2025 – This year, the Esterházy Bridge in Kaposvár won the Bridge of the Year award, which was presented at the Day of Transport Culture event at the MÜPA in Budapest. The bridge, constructed by the Hungarian SWIETELSKY general contractor, stood out from the competition with its special architectural solutions and aesthetic appearance.
The 210-meter-long steel-structured bridge features nine arches that are significant not only from a technical perspective but also visually define the character of the crossing. The structure is supported by 18 stay cables, while the 50-meter-high pylon is located 5 meters from the bridge axis. The width of the bridge is 7.9 meters, its surface area is nearly 1,400 m², and its alignment consists of straight and curved sections. During the modernization works, a complete utility replacement took place, and new transport infrastructure was developed in the city. The public lighting is enhanced by 400 meters of LED strip.
Krisztián Honti, regional director, spoke about the challenges of the project: “A lot of different fields had to be coordinated; almost every business unit of Swietelsky was represented within Hungary, and we also worked together with railway technology.” The investment was not limited to the construction of the bridge structure but also included the development of related infrastructure. As part of this, new, modern road-rail connections were created, allowing for barrier-free transportation of passengers.
As part of the project, a new integrated bus stop was built for long-distance and intercity services, with a shared platform next to the train station. P+R parking lots were constructed at several locations, providing a total of 150 parking spaces. Additionally, 2.2 kilometers of road sections, three new roundabouts, and two bridges were also realized, further modernizing and relieving the transport infrastructure of the county seat. The outstanding professional quality and innovative solutions of the project were also recognized by FIABCI Hungary, resulting in the Kaposvár Intermodal Transport Center receiving a special award.
In the online voting of the professional community, the Esterházy Bridge scored 2,902 points, placing first in the category of cable-stayed and extradosed bridges. At the ceremonial award presentation, the Komárom Monostori Danube Bridge was also recognized, in which SWIETELSKY Hungary Ltd. participated with asphalt works.
