Reconstruction of the Oldest Reinforced Concrete Bridge in Slovakia in Krásno nad Kysucou

Road bridge in town Krásno nad Kysucou, spanning the river Bystrica, is considered to be the oldest preserved reinforced concrete bridge in Slovakia and one of the oldest Monier type arch bridges in Central Europe, which are still in use. The bridge was completed in 1892, it survived both World Wars and served until 2014 without any major repair. However, preliminary structural analysis performed in 2012 has shown, that it is not able to safely carry the increased traffic loads according to new European standards. For this reason, and also in order to maintain this technical monument, its reconstruction was undertaken in 2014. Article deals with the description of the original bridge and its historical aspects. It also reports on mechanical properties of the 123-year-old concrete as well as on the final reconstruction of the bridge.