The Fiesta Bridge over the Vah River in the city of Trenčín is scheduled to be opened to the public on Friday, 13 November.
From 27 to 29 November, the bridge and its surroundings will host the closing ceremony of Trenčín 2026, the European Capital of Culture (ECOC), stated Trenčín mayor Richard Rybníček on the bridge itself, with Investment, Regional Development and Digitisation Minister Samuel Migal (Independent) in attendance.
"We've just issued the final approval certificate today, which will come into effect in 30 days. A 30-day period is required by law," emphasised the mayor.
The Fiesta Bridge was created from an old railway bridge in Trenčín, which was originally due to be dismantled and scrapped. The city acquired it during Peter Pellegrini's time as prime minister. According to Rybníček, the bridge will be a sort of Eiffel Tower for Trenčín and is unrivalled in Europe. "The Fiesta Bridge will be a street on which people will not only be able to walk across, but also spend time on. As of February, for example, they'll be able to have a coffee there," added Rybníček.
The city won the bridge in a tender for around €10.7 million; while the final cost rose to around €11.7 million. A total of 80 percent of the funding came from EU funds as part of the ECOC project, with the remainder coming from the state and the city of Trenčín. It is approximately 250 metres long and will include a separate bridge for cyclists. It will also feature restaurants, sports facilities and cultural spaces. It's connected to a newly created park in the nearby floodplain. Rybníček highlighted collaboration with Minister Migal, not only in securing funding for the Fiesta Bridge but also for other projects in Trenčín.
"I believe that this bridge will be spoken about throughout Europe. It's something that will further emphasise the significance of the title of European Capital of Culture. It represents not only the city of Trenčín, but the whole of Slovakia," said the mayor.
Source: TASR
