IBAR BRIDGE

This bridge over the Ibar River (Ura e Ibrit, Most na Ibru) is the main symbol of the Mitrovica division. Built in 1973, it is 93 m long and was originally designed for car traffic. But since the Kosovo war, only pedestrians use it under the guard of KFOR soldiers and police. Several incidents have indeed taken place here, between the inhabitants of North Mitrovica, mainly Serbs, and those of South Mitrovica, mostly Albanians. In an attempt to revitalise the city centre and ease tensions, the bridge underwent a major renovation in 2000-2001. It is now officially called the "New Bridge" (Ura e re, Novi most). The bridge is also known as the "Mitrovica Bridge", the "Main Bridge" or the "Austerlitz Bridge". The latter nickname was given to it by the soldiers of the French KFOR contingent who were in charge of security in the northern part of Kosovo until their withdrawal in 2014. The structure was entirely rehabilitated by the French group Freyssinet, a subsidiary of Vinci, from November 2000 to May 2001, and the French Development Agency financed the work (1.5 million euros).

"A place of reconciliation" The work was supervised by the architect Eric Grenier, born in Agen in 1955 and now based in Nîmes. He designed the bridge as "a place of reconciliation" with two lanes for cars, twelve belvederes, two luminous arches facing the river, benches and a lane reserved for pedestrians. But to this day, it remains closed to traffic. Only a few inhabitants cross it on foot every day under the surveillance of Austrian soldiers and Carabinieri, an Italian army police unit serving KFOR. The bridge was indeed the scene of clashes in 2004, 2008 and 2011. Fearing an "Albanian invasion", Serbian inhabitants set up a barricade at the northern entrance to the bridge, next to the old Ibar mosque (18th century) which was destroyed in 1999. This wall was maintained until 2014, when it was replaced by a "peace garden": a set of potted conifers blocking access to vehicles until 2016. The European Union then took charge of the file by investing 1.2 million euros to rehabilitate the structure and clear access. But while the mayors of North and South Mitrovica agreed to reopen it to traffic in January 2017, five years later, obstacles were still blocking access to the north.