Finland's just inaugurated its longest bridge, and not a single a car or motorcycle will ever be allowed on it.
That's because the Kruunuvuori Bridge, officially opened to the public over the past weekend, is designed only for pedestrians, cyclists, and trams (which will begin rolling out early next year).
This 0.74-mile (1.19-km)-long bridge is the last of the three Crown Bridges to be built, connecting Helsinki's eastern island suburbs with the city center. They allow residents from those areas to easily access everything the city has to offer, without compromising on their lifestyle that's strongly tied to spending time out in nature.
This one links the Kruunuvuorenranta residential area on the waterfront, the island of Korkeasaari, the district of Laajasalo, and central Helsinki.
Designed by UK-based bridge specialists Knight Architects and structural engineers WSP Finland, this striking bridge is cable-stayed from a 443-ft-tall (135-m) pylon. According to WSP, its horizontal curvature is "based not only on structural reasons, but also on improving the user experience – by walking on a curved bridge, a person can better perceive the destination."
There are some thoughtful features built into the structure. The towering pylon's entire facade lights up with colored LEDs that change according to the time of day, as well as the seasons. If you're walking or cycling along the bridge, specially designed railings at the south edge should offer you protection from harsh winds from that direction. And lastly, patterned plastic piping on the cables will cause any ice that accumulates on said cables to simply flake off.
It took a total of 100,000 hours of design work to bring this all together. This bridge has a planned lifetime of 200 years, which means it's been designed with specific structural design and material choices, and its maintenance is scheduled as such.
That includes engineering the reinforced concrete structures in the water exchange area to handle high stress, and reducing fatigue in steel joints and stiffeners. Expensive stainless steel on the outer layer of rebar on the piers in the sea help prevent corrosion. The clip above from construction partner ULMA showcases some of the work that's gone into building the bridge.
Work on the light rail system is ongoing. The idea is to quickly move traffic through the Laajasalo area ahead of its population doubling, as a new residential district called Kruunuvuorenranta opens up. This will also reduce the projected strain on the eastern branches of Helsinki's metro system.
With that, Finland is now home to what's being described as one of the largest public transport bridges in the world. In fact, I couldn't find a longer one that combines pedestrian and light rail tracks, and we're not counting rail-only bridges – so if you know of any I've overlooked, drop it in the comments.
With its citizen-friendly design and forward-looking engineering approach, this might be one for other countries to emulate in the years to come.
Sources: WSP, Knight Architects, ULMA
