The Chain Bridge has several monumental aspects that may be worth abandoning, Tibor Draskovics, the president of the Center for Budapest Transport (BKK) in charge of the renovation said. This was highlighted by Zsolt Wintermantel, the former mayor of Budapest s 4th district, while his proposal suggesting that it is forbidden to deviate from the monumental requirements during the revonation of the Chain Bridge was rejected by BKK s Board of Directors. The bankss of the Danube in Budapest and the Chain Bridge are part of the World Heritage List.

„At today s meeting, the BKK Board of Directors did not accept my suggestion that, during the negotiation phase of the public procurement process, the technical and monumental requirements previously applicable to the Chain Bridge cannot be waived,” the pro-government politician wrote on his community page.

Zsolt Wintermantel, the former mayor of Budapest s 4th district, Ujpest, explains that his proposal was that „the renovation of the Chain Bridge should be completed at the same or higher technical level as the previous permits, by restoring the monumental elements prepared during the its 1915 reconstruction, with regard to the protection of monuments and the World Heritage Site, in compliance with the legal provisions and official permits for the protection of cultural and world heritage, and by implementing the pedestrian and bicycle traffic technology and traffic safety developments of the previously planned bridgehead underpasses.”

However, his proposal was rejected by the BKK Board of Directors at the board meeting on Friday. After several months, however, the board decided to launch a conditional public procurement procedure for the renovation of the Chain Bridge.

In this context, Zsolt Wintermantel emphasized: „The kind of technical content reductions and monumental concessions to be made in order to „make the project cheaper” is disconcerting. It is doubtful whether the Chain Bridge can be renewed in its original glory, worthy of our national pride. No monumental simplification or dodgy elements are allowed!” He recalls that the statement of the President of BKK supports the concerns about the monumental elements of the Chain Bridge. Earlier, Laszlo Draskovics told Klubradio : „… the Chain Bridge has a lot of monumental elements that may be worth throwing out, making it possible to create something completely new…”

The Chain Bridge, whose renovation has been a recurring theme for months, is an important part of the view of the banks of the Danube in Budapest, which is a World Heritage site. Budapest s municipal council led by Gergely Karacsony, the capital s leftist liberal mayor, has been postponing the renovation tender since last October, citing a lack of funds. However, the amount is clearly available on the capital s account, and the Hungarian government will contribute an additional HUF 6 billion (more than EUR 17 million) to the renovation costs, secured for the capital by its former right-wing mayor.