Ponte della Costituzione
The Ponte della Costituzione ( Bridge of the Constitution ) is the fourth bridge that spans the Grand Canal in Venice . It is a pedestrian bridge with steps that connects the Santa Lucia train station to Piazzale Roma. The arch bridge is 94 m long and 9.28 m high in the middle. At the abutments it has a construction height of 0.875 m with a width of around 6.4 m and in the middle of the bridge 2.084 m with a width of around 9 m.
It was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava . After long squabbles within the city and protests by opposition politicians, construction began in 2007, for which seven million euros were estimated. The bridge was inaugurated on September 11, 2008. Because of the costs of 11.6 million euros that had accrued up to then, as well as the problems with statics and general use, Calatrava was fined € 78,000.
Problems with construction technology
In the summer of 2011, there were significant defects in the two bridge bearings, which had already shifted by up to 5 cm. Work was carried out on the elaboration of safety measures to improve the statics.
Usage problems
The bridge is not barrier-free because of the steps running across its entire width, which are also irregularly deep . Wheelchair users, people with suitcases or prams were able to cross the bridge in around seven minutes between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. with the help of a cabin that was opened in 2013 and ran along the west side. The cost of building this construction, which was not included in the original plan and which proved to be prone to failure in use, amounted to 1.8 million euros. Due to the long duration of the crossing (including waiting time for the only gondola), the heat on sunny days and frequent breakdowns, it was decided in 2019 to dismantle the rarely used structure.
In addition to a 150 cm wide strip of stone running lengthways in the middle, the pedestrian floor consists of greenish, opaque glass, which led to pedestrians falling, especially when it was wet and icy. Since the glass does not tolerate road salt, the bridge must be closed when it is slippery and snowy. By 2018, the city of Venice had reached 5,000 claims for compensation from users who had fallen, resulting in payments of € 60,000. In the meantime, anti-slip strips made of trachyte have been attached.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Venice's Problem Bridge , Der Spiegel , 23 August 2019
- ↑ Calatrava's bridge wobbles in: FAZ from July 21, 2011, page 31
- ↑ La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre , February 22, 2013, accessed June 1, 2016.
- ^ Controversial Venice cable car dismantled after just six years , The Telegraph , April 7, 2019
- ↑ Venice is renovating a bridge - because it's slippery , reisereporter.de, October 23, 2018
Coordinates: 45 ° 26 ′ 19.9 ″ N , 12 ° 19 ′ 9.9 ″ E