Ponte della Costituzione
Ponte della Costituzione | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 45°26′20″N 12°19′10″E / 45.438869059304°N 12.319427205698°E |
| Crosses | Grand Canal |
| Locale | Venice |
| Maintained by | Municipality of Venice |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | arched truss bridge |
| Material | Steel with reinforced concrete abutments clad in pietra d'Istria[1] |
| Width | varies from 17.68 metres (58.0 ft) to 9.38 metres (30.8 ft)[1] |
| Longest span | 79.72 metres (261.5 ft) (between abutments)[1] |
| Clearance below | 7.04 metres (23.1 ft) (at high tide)[1] |
| History | |
| Designer | Santiago Calatrava |
| Construction start | June 1999 (proposal)[1] |
| Location | |
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The Ponte della Costituzione (English: Constitution Bridge) is the fourth bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.
It was designed by Santiago Calatrava, and was moved into place (connecting Stazione di Santa Lucia to Piazzale Roma) in 2007, amid protest by opposition's politicians. It was finished in 2008 and opened to the public on the night of September 11, 2008.
Planning
In June 1999, the Municipality of Venice drafted a preliminary plan for a fourth bridge over the Grand Canal. Using a public selection process, they commissioned Santiago Calatrava in November 1999 to design the new bridge. Calatrava's response was an arched bridge with a large radius which was designed to be constructed off-site and installed entirely from the canal.[1]
The bridge is situated at an strategic point, connecting the railway station (Stazione Santa Lucia), on the north with the Piazzale Roma (the City's arrival point by car/bus), on the south side of the Grand Canal. The bridge is important both functionally and symbolically, connecting arriving visitors to the city and welcoming them to Venice with a panoramic view of the Grand Canal.[1]
Design
The bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava. It is arched with a radius of 180 metres (590 ft), with a central arch, two side arches and two lower arches.[1] Girders placed perpendicular to the arches join them together. The girders consist of steel tubes and plates, which form closed section boxes.[1]
The internal structure of the bridge can be appreciated by looking at a cross-section piece exhibited in open air at the waterfront located between the Railway Directorate Headquarters and the Santa Lucia railway station.
Once built, the bridge was moved into place by a large barge (connecting Stazione di Santa Lucia to Piazzale Roma) in 2007. It was finished in 2008.
Controversy
The bridge has received heated criticism and seen inauguration delays and walk-outs, which originated from three main grievances: the lack of wheelchair access, lack of necessity and its modernist-minimalist style being incompatible with Venice's decorative medieval imagery.
The Calatrava bridge has many steps embedded in its relatively steep pavement, which means elderly people have difficulty climbing it and wheelchair users are excluded from crossing. Due to lasting protests a mobility lift system resembling cocoons will be eventually installed in 2010, incurring large costs, since it was not part of the original design.
The placement of a new bridge a mere stone-throw from the existing Ponte degli Scalzi bridge has also proven controversial, since the distances between Scalzi and Rialto Bridges or the Rialto and Ponte dell'Accademia bridges are severalfold longer and with no permanent crossing between them. There is also no permanent connection between Venice and its well-populated Giudecca island, although a tunnel has been proposed at not much greater costs, promising better access for tourists and residents.
References
External links
Media related to Ponte della Constituzione at Wikimedia Commons