SBP and Snøhetta cantilever bridge between rock faces in Upstate New York
New York studios Schlaich Bergermann Partner and Snøhetta have replaced an ageing bridge in Upstate New York with a steel half-arch span that is mounted on one side of a gorge and cantilevers across to the other side.
The Sentry Bridge replaces a decaying structure of the same name located in Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
The bridge is wedged between two cavernous rock walls among the park's twisting, mossy trails that navigate along Watkins Glen gorge, and overlooks a low riverbed at the base of a waterfall.
It marks the beginning of the gorge path, and, according to the team, "sets a tone for adventure".
"The bridge and pathways honour the histories and craft traditions of the gorge, protect unique cliff and creek ecosystems. and heighten the experience of stone and water," said Snøhetta project director Matt McMahon.
The bridge was fabricated locally and is made of a stainless steel structure. It is primarily affixed to the north side of the gorge, where the bedrock is stronger, and cantilevers 46 feet (14 metres) to the other side.
The main structure was pre-fabricated and slotted into the slim site via crane.
The team then finished the bridge with black locust wood rails, concrete formed of rough-sawn hemlock, and a bluestone landing.
Custom bronze castings of local flora and fauna such as an endangered dragonfly, a rare plant, and a model of the historic arch bridge were also distributed throughout the site for visitors to "pause and examine" the regional heritage of the area.
According to the team, the bridge frames views of the surrounding waterfalls and "heightens awareness of the mist and shifting light".
"The bridge demonstrates how thoughtful engineering can support both performance and experience," said Schlaich Bergermann Partner managing director Michael Stein.
"By developing a lightweight, cantilevered structure that could be prefabricated and installed with minimal impact on the gorge, we were able to create a resilient crossing that responds to the site's environmental sensitivities while enhancing the journey through one of New York’s most remarkable landscapes."
Other recently completed pedestrian bridges include a footbridge in France that spans over a 19th-century viaduct over the River Tarn and a low-lying bridge over a Belgian river.
The photography is by Barrett Doherty
Project credits:
Owner: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Prime consultant/bridge design and engineering: schlaich bergermann partner, New York, NY
Bridge design architect and landscape architect: Snøhetta, Brooklyn, NY
Civil and environmental engineering: Lu Engineers, Rochester, NY
Historic preservation: Old Structures Engineering, New York, NY
Wayfinding and signage: Moniteurs Communication Design, Berlin, Germany
Lighting design: schlaich bergermann partner, New York, NY
Geotechnical engineering: Langan, Parsippany, NJ
Electrical engineering: SJH Engineering, Princeton, NJ
Land surveyor: GdB Geospatial, A SAM Company, West Henrietta, NY
Contractor: Twin Tier Constructors, Inc., Scottsville, NY
Owner's representative: C & S Companies, Syracuse, NY
Steel fabricator: LMC Industrial Contractors, Inc., Dansville NY
Bronze castings: Erie Bronze & Aluminium, Erie, PA; Matthews International, Pittsburgh, PA
Wood fabricator: Tri-Lox, Brooklyn, N
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