From today, 16 June, the Chain Bridge is completely closed to pedestrian and road traffic, with renovation expected to take 18 months. The Budapest Transport Company is launching ferries between the two riverbanks so that people can get from Pest to Buda, and vice versa.
Closed to pedestrians since March, the Chain Bridge is now shut off to road traffic and public transport for 18 months. During renovation, buses 16, 105, 916 and 990 will change routes and a new high-speed service will start, the 110E, from Apor Vilmos tér to Bosnyák tér.
During the work, the road section of the bridge will be completely demolished, the steel structure will be rebuilt, repaired and protected against rust, and the monumental elements created in 1916 will be restored, including a likeness of Count István Széchenyi, whose brainchild the bridge was, and the bronze coat of arms of Georgios Sinas, the Greek banker who helped finance the project. The stairs to the bridgeheads will be rebuilt, and, thanks to LED lighting, illumination be more economical and environmentally friendly.
Road traffic is expected to be return in
December 2022, while pedestrians will have to wait until the works are
completed in August 2023. In the meantime, Budapest Transport Company (BKK)
will launch a scheduled boat service between the jetties at Akadémia utca in
Pest and Jégverem utca in Buda, facilitating the crossing between the two banks.
The service, which can accommodate 250 people, departs from Jégverem utca every
half-hour from 7am, the last one departing back to the Pest side at 8.15 pm.
The boats may be used with a transport pass or a 500-forint ticket. The
schedule should be easy to work out from this link.
