Granted, this recently completed footbridge isn’t the easiest or most practical way to get people from one side of the river to another, but it might be one of the most creative. The unique intersection can rotate a full 180 degrees to make room for boats to pass under it.
Aptly named the Cody Dock Rolling Bridge, the project is part of a major redevelopment of a former industrial dock area in London, England. The dock is now home to the art community and has transformed into a creative hub.
As part of the renovation, it was decided to reopen the docks to the tidal waters of the nearby river, which required the removal of the old dam on site and the construction of a new footbridge. Simon Myers of the Gasworks Dock Partnership, responsible for redeveloping the dock, intended to install a traditional drawbridge at the site. But when his architect, Thomas Randall-Page, heard of these plans, he approached his Myers, and the engineer, assisted by Tim Lucas, proposed a far more ambitious rolling bridge counter-proposal. was pitched.
Jim Stevenson
The resulting bridge, partly inspired by Victorian-era infrastructure such as canal locks, is constructed of weathered steel and oak and weighs 13 tons (nearly 15 US tons). It works like this. In its normal position, cyclists and pedestrians can easily cross it like a normal bridge. But when a boat needs to pass under it, steel teeth attached to the ends of the bridge allow it to roll on his pair of tracks attached to concrete abutments on either bank, Greatly increases boat headroom. This process takes about 20 minutes, so no matter how fast it looks in the timelapse above, it’s spinning too fast to be safe.
The bridge contains scrap metal and concrete ballast to counter the weight of the deck and allow it to roll smoothly through a full 180 degrees until it stops in a fully inverted position. Impressively, everything is so carefully designed that it doesn’t require any motors or electricity to run. Instead, it is driven entirely by a hand winch.
Guy Archard
The Randall-Page press release states: “Seeing the potential for public spectacle inherent in the opening of the bridge, Thomas set out to add to this long-established list of movements. The unique bridge design owes much to its Victorian ancestors.
“They knew that to move a large, heavy structure efficiently, it had to be part of a balanced system. This design works on the same principle of equilibrium. Part of an ambitious community-led revitalization project, this innovative bridge has become an important landmark and symbol of the dynamic creative community that is growing here.”
Source: Thomas Randall-Page
