Scale Lane Footbridge is an apostrophe-shaped pedestrian

swing bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that can be rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. It has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravit ...

Hull, England Kingston upon Hull, usually shortened to Hull, is a historic maritime city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Est ...

. The bridge has a rotating mechanism, allowing it to swing open horizontally, letting vessels pass beneath on the River Hull. It was the first bridge in the world to allow pedestrians to remain on the bridge while it is in motion.

Background

Planning for the black steel Scale Lane Footbridge began in 2005, and McDowell+ Benedetti won a competition. Alan Baxter Ltd was hired as the

structural engineer Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research List of structural elements, structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of ...

on the project. The bridge officially opened on 28 June 2013. The bridge spans the harbour between Hull's Old Town and an industrial section of the city, and was intended to connect the town centre to a planned housing development. It crosses the old harbour which is connected to the

River Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between ...

. The bridge has space for a restaurant, seating for bridge visitors, and cost £7 million. It was the first in the world to allow people to remain on the bridge while it is opening and closing.

Design

New footbridge Scale Lane Staith to Tower Street - geograph

The bridge is

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...

ed and it curves upwards to allow small boats to pass beneath and swings open to allow larger boats past. Large gears and electric bevel gears are engaged for the opening and closing mechanism. The main pivot point for the bridge is a hub. The bridge rotates slowly laterally, allowing pedestrians to remain on the bridge while it is rotating. The design includes a barrier on the western side to prevent entry, while, on the eastern side, pedestrians can step on and off the bridge while it is in motion. The speed of the bridge opening and closing is per second. The bridge weighs and has a capacity of 1,000 people per crossing. It is long and the cantilevered portion is long. From above, the bridge looks like an apostrophe. Locals say that the bridge looks like the flipper in a pinball game. Rowan Moore from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' has said the bridge is designed in the style of

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spaniards, Spanish-Swiss people, Swiss architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stad ...

. The bridge allows pedestrians and cyclists, but prohibits motorised vehicles.

Reception

The bridge has earned several awards and has been recognised internationally. ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...

'' called it one of the "30 Most Impressive Bridges in the World". ''

The Economic Times ''The Economic Times'' is an Indian English-language business-focused daily newspaper. Owned by The Times Group, ''The Economic Times'' began publication in 1961 and it is sold in all major cities in India. As of 2012, it is the world's secon ...

'' included it in a list of "Engineering marvels". The bridge is also featured in the book ''Britain's Greatest Bridges''.

References

External links

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Hull’s new swing bridgeMatter Architecture - Scale Lane BridgeScale Lane Footbridge opens to let a barge go through
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scale Lane Footbridge Bridges in England Bridges in Kingston upon Hull Swing bridges in England Bridges completed in 2013