Suspected Explosive Closes Budapest's Margit Bridge
- 24 Jul 2026 8:03 AM
Margaret Bridge was temporarily closed to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic early Friday morning following the discovery of an unexploded World War II device near its central pillar.
The Hungarian Defence Forces' bomb disposal unit announced on Thursday that prolonged dry weather and dropping water levels along the Danube had exposed a suspected explosive object approximately 10 centimeters in diameter, located roughly 15 meters from the bridge’s central support.
To safely manage the defusal operation, authorities instituted a full security perimeter beginning at 5:00 AM.
The closure encompassed the bridge from both the Buda and Pest bridgeheads, the southern entrance of Margaret Island, and a 200-meter exclusion zone on the river surrounding the site.
Budapest transport authority BKK implemented short-term reroutings during the early morning window, temporarily splitting the major 4-6 tram line service, diverting local bus routes over Árpád Bridge, and advising commuters to utilize Metro Line M2.
Recent summer heatwaves across Europe have driven the Danube down toward near-record low water levels in Budapest, frequently exposing submerged World War II remnants and altering river navigation throughout the region.
Photo: Pixabay
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.
*********************************************************************************************
You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page:
Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary
You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters
LATEST NEWS IN current affairs