Pedestrian Bridge at Royal Victoria Dock, London

Earlier this year, a regional yachting centre was opened at the Royal Victoria Dock, which has been now been turned into a venue for regattas. On the north bank, an exhibition centre is being constructed. As an extension of the urban infrastructure, a pedestrian bridge was required to link the two sides of the dock and to provide residents with direct access to the railway station on the north bank. The structure affords protection against the weather and offers a minimum of resistance to the wind. The bridge was not to impede shipping; and its elevated deck causes virtually no turbulence on the water. Spanning a distance of 130 metres, the load-bearing structure is based on an inverted Fink truss and is supported at the ends on twin piers. In cross-section, the box girders between the suspension members are raised in the middle and project up through the timber decking. In their form and coloration, they resemble the inverted hulls of boats. To simplify the construction, a large part of the structure was prefabricated at works, connected with socketed joints on site and fixed with cable stays. The upper deck, 15 m above water level, affords views of the newly completed Millennium Dome and the activities taking place in and around the dock. Access to the bridge at both ends is via towers with stairs and lifts. For the second stage of construction, a glass passenger cabin is planned that will traverse the water in a parabolic curve on a rail fixed to the underside of the deck.