Žabljak is preparing a permanent exhibition dedicated to the largest wooden scaffolding in the world, which was used during the construction of the bridge on Đurđevića Tara, and plans are also underway to film a film about this construction project.
This was announced by the Mayor of Žabljak, Radoš Žugić, on his Facebook profile.
The exhibition will be located in the Cultural Center, and visitors will be able to see authentic photographs and documents from that time. Also, an information board with information about the construction of the bridge will be placed on the Žabljak side.
"The Tara Bridge is a pearl that has captivated with its beauty for decades. Numerous tourists from all over the world who visit Montenegro and the Durmitor National Park remain amazed by the beauty of this building. What is less known, both to tourists and the local population, is that during the construction of the bridge, the largest wooden scaffolding in the world was installed and that to this day, no larger one has been built anywhere.
The carpenters, the masters on the scaffold, who manually processed the Šarana pine and spruce were builders from our region, predominantly Šaranci. Bojovići, Anđelići, Roćeni... The chief engineer during the construction of the scaffold was the Swiss Rihard Koraj. In the year when the reconstruction of the bridge began, the Municipality of Žabljak will prepare a permanent exhibition dedicated to the scaffold. Authentic photographs and documents from that time will be exhibited in our Cultural Center. On the Žabljak side of the bridge, we plan to set up an information board with all these details," said Žugić.
He points out that "our compatriot, Stanko Popović, who lives and works in Novi Sad, is preparing the film "Skela" as a tribute to our builders and ancestors."
"On behalf of the Municipality of Žabljak, I have offered to be collaborators on this project.
"We plan to invite representatives of the city of Graubünden, the birthplace of Rihard Koraj, to the premiere. This city jealously preserves records about the ferry and their famous countryman and fellow citizen," concluded Žugić.
The Tara Bridge is 366 meters long and seven meters wide, and is made of reinforced concrete. The bridge is about 150 meters high above the canyon.
The decision to build a bridge in what was then a remote part of Montenegro was made by the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1936 due to a better connection of the Zeta Banate with the center of the then state, as well as due to the dilapidation of the existing cable-stayed bridge.
Originally, the design route of the bridge was straight along its entire length, but this was later changed to accommodate the access road. The Tara Canyon is spanned by an arch structure with a span of 116 meters, while the access structure is designed as a viaduct with four arch openings with a span of 44 meters.
The best indication of the skill of its builders is the fact that during the construction the tallest wooden scaffolding in Europe was erected. The height of the scaffolding on the large arched opening was 141,27 meters, which represented a special challenge, especially for the contractor.
The bridge was temporarily opened to traffic in November 1940, while the scaffolding was still being dismantled. Shortly thereafter, on April 17, 1941, the first occupying tanks passed over it.
In 1942, in order to prevent the penetration of Italian units from Pljevlja into the free territory, the Partisan leadership decided to demolish part of the bridge. This task was entrusted to engineer Lazar Jauković. Three months later, Jauković was captured by the occupiers and shot on August 2. Lazar was buried near the bridge, and after its reconstruction in 1946, his bust was erected on the spot where he lost his life. Immediately after his death, a legend was created, in which Lazar is mentioned as the creator of the bridge and that he had to demolish "his" masterpiece. The bridge was repaired without any major problems in 1946.
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