Bridge Purmerend
Type: Bridge Location: Purmerend Client: Municipality of Purmerend Team: Bart Reuser, Marijn Schenk, Michel Schreinemachers with Ronald Rietveld, Jurriaan Hillerström, Agathe Osika, Ieda Alvarez Dogo, Betty Aarts, Michel Mandersloot, Anne-Laurance Ricard, Tom van Alst, Ayelet Kamar, Agata Pięt Collaborator / associate: Ronald Rietveld Landschaparchitectuur Floor area / size: 66 mtr span Cost: Euro 6.000.000,00 Construction: Ingenieurs Bureau Amsterdam (IBA), ABT adviesbureau voor Bouwtechniek Status: Final design
2010-02-01 Start Tender
The Melkwegbrug (Milky Way Bridge), a continuation of the Melkweg, is part of the Kanaalsprong master plan and connects the Weidevenne district to the historical city centre.
To conform to the angle of inclination requirements with regard to bicycle and wheelchair traffic, we needed a length of over 100 m.
We therefore decided to separate bicycle and wheelchair traffic from pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians cross the canal by a high arch, reach a height of over 12 m and stand a chance of a vista: the connection between the old and the new becomes perceivable here.
The bridge thus becomes more than just the fastest possible crossing, it becomes an end and an attraction in itself. Because pedestrian traffic and bicycle traffic are separated, the footbridge can continue the direct line of the Melkweg in the direction of the centre.
The bicycle bridge coils over the water to create sufficient length to limit the angle of inclination of the bicycle path. The section that opens is divided diagonally and consists of two revolving bridge decks.