Figure 13:
Towers with
stay cables in
vertical plane
Oresund Bridge was an example to me of questioning
the Client’s brief and reference scheme and thinking
out the box to realise a bridge that better fulfilled the
objective of form and function and lower price.
By putting the railway at the lower level and road at
the upper level meant that a deep truss could be used
which was better able to meet the needs of a stiff
structure for railways.
Also the process of engaging the design competition
winner to comprehensively develop the Illustrative
Design which was the basis of the Design & Build
Contract meant that the Employer obtained a bridge
of his liking at an affordable price by letting the
contractor use its ingenuity to develop the Illustrative
Design and use appropriate construction methods and
p lant to reduce cost.
This knowledge helped me in subsequent years
especially on Queensferry Crossing to propose
contracts on similar basis to obtain aesthetically
pleasing designs at a reasonable cost.
C. Stretford Road (Hulme Arch) Bridge, Manchester England (1994 – 1999)
The Hulme Arch Bridge spans the by-pass from
Manchester City Centre to the airport.
The bridge replaces the Stretford Road footbridge
which in itself was a replacement for Stretford Road
which was severed by the underpass at the site
location, Figure 14.
The severance of Stretford Road had also severed the
local Hulme community and the area with its council
housing was run down and suffering from crime and
drug related issues. Manchester City Council held an
invited design competition between prequalified
designers for reinstatement of Stretford Road in the
form of a landmark bridge that would rejuvenate the
area. Arup alongwith Jim Eyre of Wilkinson Eyre
Architects won the design competition. I was the
Project Director for the bridge.
1/2018
Figure 14: Location of the Bridge