Foot and Cycle Bridge, Zwischenwasser

The old construction had grown old and dilapidated due to use by pedestrian and cyclist taking the connecting route between Rankweil and Muntlix. As a “boardwalk with a guardrail”, the bridge over the river Frutz in Zwischenwasser crosses the stream in an unspectacular way and is sparse in its form. It fulfils the requirements as an economic and quick realisation that is long-lasting and maintenance-free.

The qualities found in the old bridge, which represented a pragmatic and unspectacular solution, were taken up for the new plans and developed further as the essential guidelines. The river bed is bridged by a construction which seems to emerge from the bushes, a simplistic gesture with reduced materialisation. A timber boardwalk, whose timber girder merges smoothly with the base plate, connects the bridge’s abutments of exposed concrete. Due to the given topography, which allowed a bigger construction height in the south, it was possible to design a wedge-shaped bridge, which was structurally made as a single-span girder.

The supporting construction of timber lies protected from weather under the pavement and is thereby virtually maintenance-free. The whole wooden boardwalk, pavement and guardrail, was prefabricated and mounted on site with a crane truck, in order to get the old bridge replaced as soon as possible. With a light and transparent construction, the new boardwalk over the river Frutz gives the leading role to the surrounding nature.