Most SNP, commonly referred to as Most Slovenského národného povstania or the UFO Bridge, and named Nový most from 1993 to 2012, is a road bridge over the Danube in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the world's longest bridge to have one pylon and one cable-stayed plane. Nový most is an asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge with a main span length of, a total length of, a width of, and a weight of. Its steel construction is suspended from steel cables, connected on the Petržalka side to two pillars. There are four lanes for motor traffic on the upper level and lanes for bicycles and pedestrians on the lower level.
History
Since its construction in 1972 the bridge was called Most SNP, although locally it was called New Bridge. In 1993, its name was changed by the Bratislava City Council to Nový Most to unify its official name with that actually used by the people, as it was the second bridge to be built over Danube river in the city. However, another three bridges have been constructed since its opening, and on 29 March 2012 members of the Bratislava City Council voted in favor of an initiative by the Mayor of Old Town Táňa Rosová to change the bridge's name back to Most SNP, effective 29 August 2012, the day of 68th anniversary of Slovak National Uprising. The bridge was built between 1967 and 1972 under a project managed by A. Tesár, J. Lacko, and I. Slameň. It officially opened on August 26, 1972, as the second bridge over the Danube in Bratislava. A significant section of the Old Town below Bratislava Castle, which included nearly all of the Jewish quarter, was demolished to create the roadway that led to it; on the other hand, the bridge improved access between Petržalka and the rest of the city. Parts of the historical city walls were unearthed during construction.
A special attraction is the flying saucer-shaped structure atop the bridge's pylon, housing an observation deck and a restaurant, which since 2005 has been called UFO. The restaurant serves both traditional Slovak and international cuisine, describing its cuisine as "Mediterasian". It received the Restaurant of the Year award in 2011. Both the restaurant and the observation deck offer panoramic views of Bratislava. They are reached using lifts located in the east pillar, accessed from the walking and cycling paths on either side of the bridge. Access to the lifts normally costs €7.40 as of November 2017, but this fee is deducted from the bill for restaurant guests. The west pillar of the bridge tower houses an emergency staircase with 430 stairs.
