A limited competition for the design of two replacement bridges at Küstrin on the German-Polish border has been won by Knight Architects and engineers Schüßler-Plan.
The two-stage limited competition was run by Deutsche Bahn Germany and is for two replacement bridge structures which will form the central part of the Berlin-Kostrzyn- Gorzów railway modernisation programme: one is over the River Odra crossing the German-Polish border and the other crosses the river flood plain on the German side.
At approximately US$48 million it will be the largest bridge project in the state of Brandenburg. The winning solution for the main crossing is a network arch spanning 130m with a slim structural depth of 17m.
The network arch system allows a high level of structural slenderness and transparency, offering views onto the pristine flood plains of the River Odra and the nearby ruins of the Kostrzyn fortress. The cross-braced pattern of the hangers is intended to reference the historic truss bridge it will replace.
The new rail link will enable train speeds of up to 120km/h and will provide space for subsequent electrification. The anticipated construction programme is 2018-2020.
