Reggio Emilia-ponte sospeso, Suspension bridge in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Reggio Emilia's ponte sospeso is a suspension bridge in Reggio Emilia, Italy, with a white steel arch that curves over the motorway below. The central arch rises nearly as high as a fifteen-story building above the road deck and supports the structure through diagonal cables anchored on either side of the arch.
Architect Santiago Calatrava designed the bridge as part of a complex featuring three overpasses along the A1 motorway. It opened to traffic in October 2007 and was meant to ease the connection between industrial districts east of the city and the center.
This infrastructure project represents the modern architectural direction of Reggio Emilia, connecting industrial areas with the city center.
The bridge carries two traffic lanes for motorized vehicles and features pedestrian walkways that offer views over the flat countryside of Emilia-Romagna. Visitors who want to see the structure up close can reach it from roads leading east from the city edge toward the motorway.
The suspension consists of fifty pairs of cables running in a hyperbolic pattern from the arch to the roadway, creating a fan-like silhouette. This arrangement makes the structure recognizable from several kilometers away across the flat plain and gives it an appearance reminiscent of a sail or harp.
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