The Rákóczi bridge (former Lágymányosi Bridge) is the southernmost of the eight bridges that span the Danube In Budapest connecting the Buda side to the Pest side. More specifically it connects the national theater and Palace of Arts buildings in Pest with the Infopark of innovation and technology on the Buda side of the river. It is the second newest public bridge in the Hungarian Capital after the Megyer Bridge. The Lágymányosi bridge was initially named after the south Buda district of Lágymányosi , however, the name of the bridge was later changed to the Rákóczi Bridge named after the Rákóczi family which were a prominent Hungarian historic family. The decision to rename the bridge was carried out by the Committee of the Rural Development Ministry.
The bridge is 493.4 meters long and 30.5 meters wide and boasts a very unique lighting system using mirrors and high-performance halogen reflectors to help illuminate the roadway. Construction on the bridge began in 1992 based on the plans of Tibor Sigrai and was completed in 1995 with its inauguration being held on the 30th of October 1995. With its construction the surrounding area also began rapid development with a resulting large boom in construction. This large boom in construction resulted in the construction of the Palace of Arts in 2005 and the National Theater in 2002 both of which are truly breathtaking and must see sights for tourists and locals alike. This new compound was soon dubbed the new cultural center of Hungary. Initially the bridge was built for a world exhibition that was to be co-hosted by Budapest and Vienna, however, the exhibition never took place but the construction of the bridge continued in order to discharge the Petőfi Bridge and to connect the developing areas of Buda and Pest.
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