The demolition of the Old Sava Bridge in Belgrade was one of the most complex international projects undertaken by HSP Hídépítő Speciál Ltd., presenting significant engineering, river logistics, and coordination challenges simultaneously. The iconic green bridge, built in 1942, had long been a defining element of Belgrade’s cityscape, but due to its deteriorated technical condition, its removal became essential to make way for the construction of a new bridge.

During the demolition works, the superstructure elements were removed first. Using the Clark Ádám floating crane, the left and right bank bridge sections were lifted one by one, with the 112- and 135-ton steel components manoeuvred on the Sava River with centimetre-level precision. For the water operations, HSP’s TS80 and TS40 barges, along with push boats and motorboats, ensured accurate positioning and operational support, while the professional rigging of the steel structures was carried out by the rope access specialists of 3D-Acél Ltd.

The highlight of the project was the removal of the arch bridge: the nearly 420-ton structure was lifted from its position using a hydraulic lifting system installed on two 52-metre barges. The operation was preceded by extensive preparation, with the maintenance, testing, and fine-tuning of the lifting equipment carried out in Mohács, and the control system recalibrated by VOX Automatika Ltd. The arch structure temporarily remained on the barges and, following the completion of the shoreline sliding track, was transferred to land through a multi-day, phased operation.

After the removal of the superstructure, the focus shifted to the demolition of the piers, where above-water and underwater works were performed in parallel. Following the cutting operations carried out by Hídépítő Ltd., HSP provided the waterborne support, crane operation conditions, as well as the transport and handling of the dismantled elements. Throughout the project, our crawler excavator worked continuously, extracting the timber piles forming the foundation of the piers with a deep digging bucket, while the concrete debris resulting from the pier demolition was loaded onto trucks using a clamshell grab.

The demolition of the Old Sava Bridge also laid the foundation for the construction of a new bridge in Belgrade.