This & That

"Italian Bridge" awarded European Steel Construction Prize

8. October 2021

Since October 2020, the Italian Bridge has relieved traffic in the Welschdörfli and has since enhanced the urban image of Chur. On 7 October, the new cycle and pedestrian bridge was honoured with the "European award for steel structures".

A project competition held by the city of Chur in December 2017 laid the foundation for a safe and direct path connection for pedestrians and bicycle traffic from the Obertor to the Welschdörfli. In close cooperation between the city, an engineering firm and the construction and steel construction companies, the imposing structure could be realised by October 2020. The gentle, curved path and the filigree steel construction of the Italian Bridge are appealing; this proves its popularity as a photo subject in the social media. But the professional eye also appreciates the special bridge construction and honors it with the important "European Award for Steel Structures". The prize, awarded every two years, recognizes special achievements in the field of steel construction. "The Italian Bridge not only creates a safe crossing from the old town to the Welschdörfli, it also enriches the city of Chur with a structural attraction," says city councillor Sandra Maissen. The triangular cross-section gives the arch an elegance that is integrated into the overall design of the Plessur area.

The engineering firm Bänziger Partner AG, Chur, designed and supervised the bridge from the first sketch to completion. Architectural advice was provided by the architectural firm Ritter Schumacher AG, Chur. The construction work was carried out by the regional companies Crestageo AG, Chur and Mettler Prader AG, Chur. The demanding steel construction work was carried out by the steel construction companies Toscano Stahlbau AG, Cazis, Jörimann Stahlbau AG, Bonaduz and Schneider Stahlbau AG, Jona. A total of 175 tons of structural steel and 430 m3 of reinforced concrete were used for the 77 m long bridge.

Councillor Sandra Maissen is delighted with the award: "We are proud of the prize we have received and would like to thank all those involved for their commitment and cooperation".

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.