Victor Neels Bridge
Coordinates: 50 ° 35 ′ 33 ″ N , 6 ° 27 ′ 6 ″ E
| Victor Neels Bridge | ||
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| use | Bike and hiking trail | |
| Subjugated | Urftsee | |
| place | Gemünd (Schleiden) | |
| construction | Steel suspension bridge with four ropes | |
| overall length | 124 m | |
| width | 2.5 m | |
| start of building | March 2009 | |
| completion | September 2009 | |
| opening | September 27, 2009 | |
| planner | Engineering office Lorenz Cornelissen | |
| location | ||
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The Victor Neels Bridge is a steel suspension bridge with four ropes that has spanned the Urftsee in the Eifel National Park since 2009 .
The aim and purpose of the bridge building was to create a connection for cyclists and hikers to get from the Urftseerandweg - coming from Gemünd as well as from Rurberg / Urftsperrmauer - to the height beyond the lake to the former NS-Ordensburg Vogelsang .
Historical background
Before the Second World War there was a ferry connection to the NS “Reichsschulungslager” built in 1934 at this point in the area where the Lorbach confluence with the Urft .
After the war, Urftsee and Vogelsang were in the restricted area of the Vogelsang military training area and were not open to the public.
After the Belgian troops withdrew on January 1, 2006 and the area was reopened to the public, the ferry service was not resumed, so that initially a direct connection between the Urftsee cycle and hiking trail and the Vogelsang “learning site” (memorial) was not possible was. There was also no connection from the Kermeter . This infrastructural shortcoming only changed with the construction of the bridge in 2009.
The bridge building
First of all, an approx. 20 meter high steel pylon , inclined at 17 ° to the mountain slope and guyed with two ropes, was erected. Two suspension ropes were stretched between this and two reinforced concrete discs on the west bank (parapet); underneath are two tension cables. In this respect, the entire supporting structure consists essentially of only four ropes. The aluminum-covered crossing, secured by steel railings with wire cladding, is handicapped accessible.
In December 2009 the bridge was named after Victor Neels , who was in command of the Belgian armed forces at Camp Vogelsang from 1970 to 1980 . After completing his active time, he tried to get closer to the local population through various social activities.
The bridge was awarded the German Steel Construction u. a. Awarded for its landscape-friendly construction and environmentally friendly aesthetics.
A ground anchor
Pointed pylon
Web links
- Entry at baukunst-nrw
- German Steel Construction Prize 2010
- Michael Greuel: Baptism: Bridge named after Victor Neels. In: Kölner Stadtanzeiger. December 20, 2009.
- Structurae: Victor Neels Bridge