The Nescio Bridge (or Nesciobrug in Dutch) is a cycle and footbridge in the Netherlands. This curved, steel suspension bridge, located in Amsterdam, is the country's first suspension bridge that carries only a cycle track and footway,[3] and at almost 800 metres length it is also one of the country's longest cycle and footbridges. Additionally, it is the longest single cable suspension bridge in the Netherlands.[1]
Because the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal is one of the most heavily used inland waterways in Europe,[7][8][9] that connects the Port of Amsterdam, the fifth busiest port in Europe,[10] via the river Rhine to its hinterland, the bridge had to offer sufficient clearance to commercial shipping traffic for unrestricted passage. In order to achieve the needed 10m (33ft) clearance, while at the same time providing a conveniently shallow gradient for cyclists, the bridge has long approaches at both ends. On the north end, the long access ramp was fitted in by a long curve onto the Diemerzeedijk, whereas the southern end terminates in an expansive spiral cycle ramp.[11] The footbridge section connects to the shore with a spiral staircase at either end.[12]
The main span was constructed off-site as a single steel structure of approximately 180m (591ft) long, weighing some 510t (502 long tons; 562 short tons).[9] In order to obstruct the busy shipping traffic on the canal as little as possible, it was hoisted into place within half a day on 9 July 2005. The cross-section of the bridge changes fluently from a deep triangular section at mid-span, where stiffness is needed, to a shallow section that merges into the concrete approaches. The angle of its sides makes it 'stealthy' to marine radar, again to ensure that it doesn't impede commercial shipping.[3] Additionally, tuned mass dampers have been fitted, to prevent the bridge from wobbling as people walk across.
Suspension bridges are comparatively rare in the Netherlands, because the generally soft Dutch soil makes it difficult to properly anchor the main cables at the ends. On the Nescio Bridge this was solved by anchoring the cables to the bridge itself.[13]
‘For a single recent outstanding achievement in bridge engineering demonstrating innovation in special use bridges such as pedestrian, people-mover, or non-traditional structures.’
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Nescio_Bridge, and is written by contributors.
Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.