Free-surface flow in the vicinity of bridge piers on a fixed channel bed is a classical problem of open-channel hydraulics. This problem is usually analyzed using one-dimensional hydraulic models for steady-flow problems. The aim of this paper is to present a two dimensional numerical simulation of water flow around obstacles, such as cylinders, which can act as a simplified model of real piers. The depth-averaged Navier-Stokes equations describing unsteady free-surface flow are solved using an explicit scheme of the finite volume method. The numerical solution prepared for the simulations of unsteady free-surface flows was used here to analyze the case of steady flow. A numerical simulation of flow in the channel with the obstruction was performed for two different inflow discharges determining, respectively, the subcritical and supercritical flow in the cross-section of a channel constriction. In the second simulation, a hydraulic jump was observed downstream of the bridge section. The numerical results were compared with measurements. Water surface profiles were measured for both discharges in the hydraulic laboratory of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Gdansk University of Technology (GUT). Comparisons with laboratory data showed that the proposed approach constitutes a sufficiently accurate and reliable technique for predicting basic flow parameters. The method of two-dimensional modeling of flow in a river channel between bridge piers can be also integrated with the simulation of unsteady flood wave propagation, ensuring a uniform approach to the problem of flood modeling in river valleys. Moreover, a twodimensional simulation yields detailed information about flow structure near the obstruction, which can be used to better elucidate debris transport and river bed deformation processes.