Today, the new Polule Bridge over the Savinja River was officially opened during the ceremony marking the completion of the Recovery and Resilience Plan projects in the Celje area. The new 110-metre-long bridge represents an important step towards reducing flood risk in Celje. Designed to improve the flow capacity of the Savinja River during high-water events, it also improves the local transport network and connectivity. The bridge was designed by Ponting Bridges.The bridge was officially opened by Polona Rifelj, MSc, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia, Damijan Jaklin, MSc, State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, and Matija Kovač, Mayor of the City Municipality of Celje. The completed Recovery and Resilience Plan projects in the Celje area represent a major investment in flood resilience, improving the Savinja River's capacity to safely convey high flows while better protecting the surrounding communities.
The bridge crosses the Savinja River with a 65-metre main steel span that has no supports within the riverbed, accompanied by two 22.5-metre inundation spans that facilitate the conveyance of floodwaters. These extend into the roundabout on the right bank and the road alignment on the left bank. The floodplain spans are designed as reinforced-concrete integral frame structures, while the main span is a steel orthotropic composite structure with a steel arch.
The 18.4-metre-wide bridge accommodates two traffic lanes, separated by the arch structure, as well as dedicated pedestrian and cycling facilities. It replaces the deteriorated bridge that was damaged during the 2023 floods and subsequently demolished. The lower edge of the new bridge is positioned 2.7 metres higher than that of its predecessor, significantly improving flood resilience.
Construction of the bridge began in early 2025. The works were carried out by VOC Celje, while the steel structure was manufactured by Adteh and BS VAR. The project was commissioned by the Directorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Water (DRSV) and financed through the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Project details:
Bridge over Savinja River at Polule near Celje
