The installation of the Ceršak Bridge superstructure, consisting of two parallel 87.6-meter long glulam timber girders, was completed on Sunday, 31. 8. 2025. The installation was carried out in a single move, with a 650-ton crane, without temporary supports in the riverbed, directly onto the suspended cables. Lifting, positioning and assembly (bearings connections, tension-rod-attachments to the main bearing cables and tensioning) of the bridge took approximately 12 hours. The geometry of the almost 90-meter-long bridge (pre-camber) and the forces in the suspension cables were carried out exactly within the predetermined calculation values.
Once completed, the new wooden suspension footbridge will connect Slovenia (Ceršak) and Austria (Straß). It will be the main link over the bordering Mura River, along the international cyclist’s path between the border crossing point Šentilj/Spielfeld and the bridge in Črnci near Gornja Radgona, more than 20 km downstream.
The bridge consists of two (H/B = 128/28 cm) parallel GL28h glulam timber beams, suspended with high-strength FLC-cables, via steel frames and tension-rods. The FLC bearing cables are attached at the tips of the V-shaped concrete pylons at the abutments, on either side of the Mura River. The wooden bearing structure is structurally weather-protected with wooden panels (larch, Accoya), anti-insect nets and stainless-steel lids. The deck is also wooden, made of cross-laid grooved Accoya boards.
The total length of the bridge, approach ramps included, is approximately 96 meters, the clear structural span amounts 86.0 meters, span of the bearing cables 90.6 meters. The clear width of the bridge is 3.5 m, and the total width 4.60 m.
The works were carried out by the companies Pomgrad, Teufelberger-Redaelli, BS VAR, Šušteršič, Up2Plan and Knuplež. Ponting Bridges designed the footbridge, and, due to complexity of the project, also provided site and construction supervision. The bridge is expected to be completed and set to open in late fall.
