Three Countries Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Three Countries Bridge (German: Dreiländerbrücke, French: La passerelle des Trois Pays) is an arch bridge
which crosses the Rhine between the commune
of Huningue
(France
) and Weil am Rhein
(Germany
). It is the world's longest single-span bridge dedicated exclusively to carrying pedestrians and cyclists.
Its name comes from the bridge's location between France, Germany and Switzerland
(the latter being located approximately 200 metres away). It was designed by the Franco-Austrian architect Dietmar Feichtinger
.
The bridge was assembled nearby in Huningue, then transported on 26 November 2006 to its current site on the Rhine. The bridge became open to the public on 30 March 2007, and was officially inaugurated on the night of 30 June-1 July 2007.
It received the 2008 the award Deutscher Brückenbaupreis.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
which crosses the Rhine between the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Huningue
Huningue
Huningue is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace in north-eastern France. Huningue is a northern suburb of the Swiss city of Basel. It also borders Germany . In 2008 it had a population of 6503 people...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) and Weil am Rhein
Weil am Rhein
Weil am Rhein is a German town and commune which is a suburb of the city of Basel in Switzerland. It is situated on the east bank of the River Rhine, and close to the point at which the Swiss, French and German borders meet. It is the most southwesterly town in Germany.-Geography:Weil am Rhein is...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). It is the world's longest single-span bridge dedicated exclusively to carrying pedestrians and cyclists.
Its name comes from the bridge's location between France, Germany and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(the latter being located approximately 200 metres away). It was designed by the Franco-Austrian architect Dietmar Feichtinger
Dietmar Feichtinger
Dietmar Feichtinger is an Austrian architect established since 1989 in Paris. He studied architecture at the Graz University of Technology and graduated [summa] cum laude in 1988. After gaining initial experience with Prof. Huth, Prof. Giencke and Prof...
.
Construction
The construction of the bridge required 1012 tonnes of steel, 1798 cubic metres of concrete, and 805 metres of cables of 30 and 60 centimetres in diameter.The bridge was assembled nearby in Huningue, then transported on 26 November 2006 to its current site on the Rhine. The bridge became open to the public on 30 March 2007, and was officially inaugurated on the night of 30 June-1 July 2007.
It received the 2008 the award Deutscher Brückenbaupreis.