Cyclists and pedestrians can now cross a busy road without risking life and limb in San Ramon, California thanks to a $21.6m bridge designed by Danish consulting engineer Cowi.
Opened to the public on 19 July after two years of construction, the bridge carries the popular Iron Horse Trail – a 32-mile walking and cycling route that follows an abandoned rail right-of-way in Alameda and Contra Costa counties – over the busy, six-lane Bollinger Canyon Road, eliminating a dangerous at-grade crossing.
“Families, students, cyclists, and trail users no longer have to dart across Bollinger Canyon Road’s six lanes of traffic. They now glide over it safe and stress-free,” said Newell Arnerich, commissioner of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
He added: “After reviewing over 20 design options and listening to public input, we landed on a cable-stayed bridge with a single centre tower, minimising its footprint on the roadway while creating a visually striking landmark.”
Lights up at night
Cowi was prime consultant and engineer of record on the project. The six-span cable-stayed bridge runs 340 feet over the road and has a combined 570 feet of retaining wall approaches, a central V-shaped steel pylon, and lighting and railing systems.
Steel components were preassembled and lifted into place in two 170-foot sections, while full-depth precast deck panels reduced formwork and construction time.
The railings combine painted steel fin plates and stainless-steel mesh for safety and aesthetics.
Wayfinding lights are built into the handrails, while aesthetic lighting illuminate the bridge’s cables, piers, and pylon after dark.
The design also incorporates over 7,300 native plants, 80 trees, and a series of landscaped gathering areas.
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