A curling bridge is a type of movable bridge, of which the sole example shown here is The Rolling Bridge, built in 2004 as part of the Grand Union Canal office & retail development project at Paddington Basin, London.
The bridge was conceived by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, designed by SKM Anthony Hunt with Packman Lucas, and built by Littlehampton Welding Ltd.
The bridge consists of eight triangular sections hinged at the walkway level and connected above by two part links that can be collapsed towards the deck by hydraulic pistons, which are concealed in vertical posts in the bridge parapets. When extended, it resembles a conventional steel and timber footbridge, and was 12 metres long. However, to allow the passage of boats, the bridge curls up until its two ends join, to form an octagonal shape measuring one half of the waterway's width at that point.
The Rolling Bridge curls up every Friday at noon.
The maintenance and opening of the bridge is managed by Merchant Square Estates.
Following on from the maintenance issues in 2008. The bridge has been repaired and was fully operational from April 2009
In 2005, the bridge won the British Structural Steel Design Award.
Bridges - Pedestrian
Links: en.wikipedia.org
By: Dania
