Work on a sustainable park footbridge over the Zwolle railway in the Northeastern Netherlands has started with the lifting of the first girders.
The 130m long Passerelle will form a continuous walking route through the town of Zwolle, connecting the historic city centre with the newer neighbourhood of Spoorzone. It is 10m wide and 7.5m high, constructed from European conifer timber. It will have a concrete foundation. The municipality of Zwolle says that the decision to build with timber, rather than steel, decreases the bridge’s carbon dioxide emissions by 70%.
Impression of the Passerelle bridge at Zwolle. Credit: ipvDelft
The S-shaped bridge is designed as a raised street, planted with trees and shrubs and decorated with sculptures for a parklike appearance. There will be various walking paths, as well as benches and viewpoints to make Passerelle a pleasant place to spend time in. There is lift access for cyclists and wheelchair users, but cyclists will have to walk their bikes across. A drainage system will store rainwater for the planting.
The design is by ipvDelft, Karres en Brands and the German engineering firm Miebach, with the support of ProRail and the consultancy firm Attis. It was commissioned by the municipality of Zwolle. The building contractor is Dura Vermeer. A new tender will be issued for the design and construction of the public space.
