Heroes' Bridge, Timișoara

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The Heroes' Bridge, or Podul Eroilor, is in Timișoara, Romania, and crosses the Bega River in the Iosefin district. It carries cars, pedestrians, and bicycles. The bridge has also been known as Bem Bridge and Elba Bridge. In 1870–1871, a metal bridge called Bem Bridge was built here, one of the city’s first metal bridges, on a brick foundation near Iosefin market. By 1927 it was in poor condition and was kept up with a temporary wooden structure. In 1938 it was demolished and replaced with a reinforced concrete bridge designed by engineer Ioan Polen, featuring an elegant balustrade, stone pedestals, and decorative lighting poles. During the communist era the street was closed and the bridge lost much of its importance. Between 2018 and 2019 the carriageway was widened to four lanes, and new sidewalks and bike paths were added.