Hidak Komárom-Esztergom megyében (Esztergom, 2001)

dr. Tóth Ernő: Összefoglalás

Summary SUMMARY The present area of county KomáromEsztergom is only a part of the one at the time of the establishment of Hungarian Kingdom (in 1000 A.D.). Its territory has frequently changed. Also the geographical conditions that influence road and bridge construction have changed in this area to the north of river Danube. Its major streams are Danube and its affluents: Vág, Nyitra, Zsitva, and Garam. Even in Roman Ages, an important road - limes road - led along Danube. The junctions of traffic were the crossing-places of Danube: Komárom and Esztergom. The topography offered a good opportunity to the traffic between Buda and Vienna. Before the Mongol invasion of Hungary (in 1241-42) Esztergom was the most important road junction of Hungary. Tata in 1755. This later one, similarly to several other bridges in Tata were designed by Jakab Fellner. There was an imposing two-span stone bridge on the cattle-driving road by Nagyigmánd, but today only its pier can be seen. There are, however, some two-span arch bridges in operation in the county. The majority of the bridges before 19th century were of course timber ones: 127 of the 153 bridges were made of wood in accordance with an advice of 1795. The tiltable and liftable bridge designed in Komárom across Vág-Danube was of unique interest. Another pontoon-bridge was built by Esztergom in 1842. Extremely nice design documentations done by county engineer János Prokopp remained on Garam-bridges close to Garamkövesd (1874) and Kernend. In the area of present county, the location of several bridges built during the Roman Ages can be identified (e.g. Almásfüzitő), and the aquaduct between Tata and Szőny (Brigetio) is also known. In accordance to relevant documents, there were bridges by the gates of Esztergom in the 13th century. Bánhida (1288) has been named after the bridge of Atalér close to it. The early information were not only on minor bridges, but on the advice of starting a bridge construction by King Matthias (15th century) by Komárom. The works vere discontinued due to the king's death. After the Turkish occupation (after 1526), pontoonbridges bewondered also by foreigners were built close to Esztergom by Turks in 1585 and close to Komárom by Hungarians in 1589. In Esztergom, as a part of present main road 11, a two-span arch can be found which were constructed in about 1600 and which is presumably the oldest bridge of the country. Several arch bridges were built in 18th century. On a map from 1795, the signs of 20 stone bridges can be found in the area of the present county. An arch bridge was constructed by Naszály presumably in 1727 at the latest and by The first great project of iron bridge construction in the county was the Danube-bridge by Komárom (1892) consisting of the the series of crescent-shaped, simple truss bridges. The four-span (4x100 m) bridge was designed by János Feketeházy, its two outside spans have remained by now. Together with this Danube-bridge, a truss bridge was also constructed over the railway line. It was in 1895 when a five-span bridge - similar to that in Komárom - was built in Esztergom which was the longest span truss girder Danube-bridge at its age. These ingenious and demandingly executed bridges were built by Gregersen, Szaléz Cathry and the Machine Factory of Hungarian State Railways. Simultaneously with the construction of Danube-bridge, several SmallDanube-bridges of 40 m span were also built. A railway Danube-bridge was also built in Komáron (1909) with a structure similar to the highway bridge. Also the reinfored concrete appeared in the bridge construction of the county relatively early. The Garam-bridge by Kernend (24 +30 + 34) built in 1906 was an important girder bridge. 148