Puente del Alamillo
| Puente del Alamillo | |
|---|---|
 The Puente del Alamillo, viewed from the left side of the Guadalquivir river |
|
| Carries | Motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles |
| Crosses | Guadalquivir river |
| Locale | Seville (Andalusia–Spain) |
| Designer | Santiago Calatrava |
| Design | Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 250 m |
| Height | 140 m |
| Coordinates | 37°24′48″N 5°59′25″W / 37.41333°N 5.99028°W |
The Alamillo Bridge is a structure in Seville, Andalucia (Spain), which spans the Canal de Alfonso XIII, allowing access to La Cartuja, an island between the canal and the Guadalquivir River. The bridge was constructed as part of infrastructure improvements for Expo 92, which was held on a large site on the island. Construction of the bridge began in 1989 and was completed in 1992 from a design by Santiago Calatrava.
The bridge is of the cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge type and consists of a single pylon, counterbalancing a 200 m span with thirteen lengths of cables. The original intent was to build two symmetrical bridges on either side of the island, but in the end, the Alamillo's singular design has proved most striking.
The Alamillo Bridge was built more as a monument rather than a piece of structural art. While the leaning mast is very suggestive that the bridge is solely supported be the cables, there is controversy that the deck is mostly self supporting since the tension in the cables seems lower than would be expected. To be a good example of structural art, the bridge must also be successful at structural engineering design. The Alamillo Bridge however lacks the principles of efficiency and economy.
With no economic constraints on construction, the goal was to create a bridge of symbolic importance. This bridge represents the soaring aspirations of the city of Seville in preparation for Expo'92, and is visible from the top of La Giralda, the sentimental roof of the city, linking Seville's past and present. Similar to to the Brooklyn Bridge, there is an elevated walkway for pedestrians. In addition to the elevated walkway, the Alamillo Bridge features a lookout at the top of the mast, accessible by an enclosed stairway.
The Puente del Alamillo is the only bridge that is balanced solely through added weights not requiring any type of back anchorage. There are 54 steel piles under the bridge but they act passively under the mast.
Calatrava's Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay located in Redding, California (2004), and Chords Bridge in Jerusalem, Israel, are similar in design to the Alamillo Bridge.
[edit] See also
- Puente de la Mujer, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, Ireland
- Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, California, United States
- Puente de la Unidad, Monterrey, Mexico
- Structural art
