Horesen Bridge

Horesen Bridge (Mirselec Horesen taiber) is a large suspension bridge in Isana spanning Gardaus Bay near its mouth, at the point now known as Horesen Point. Named after Arin Horesen, the Minister of Development from 1950 to 1962 who was famously known as the "Commissioner of New Isana", it connects the east and west coasts of the bay as part of the Bayside Expressway. It was completed in 1972, making it the newest of the three bridges spanning the Bay.

History

Before this bridge, Gardaus Bay was spanned by two bridges: the Nikemi Bridge in the north, nearest the mouth of the Rushalya river, and the Soruta Bridge which formed part of the Urban Central Highway that was a primary transport route for the city. The two links, as well as several links over the river, were widely seen as inadequate for a city that was expected to grow swiftly in population as rebuilding commenced; therefore, even in the Isana portion of the 1948 City Plan, plans for a bridge built farther south and supporting a larger coastal highway were already underway.

Significance

The bridge is sometimes called the "Waterborne Gate of Isana"; after the reconstruction of the Belegras Dockyards and the relocation of the main passenger terminus to inside Gardaus Bay, this appellation has only become more significant. In terms of city transport, too, the Horesen Bridge is crucial as the cross-bay component of the highway that now carries nearly the same volume of traffic as the Central Highway itself.