Saltsjöbron, Södertälje, Bascule bridge in Södertälje, Sweden

Saltsjöbron is a double-leaf bascule bridge over the Baltic Sea section of the Södertälje Canal, opened in 2002. Its two counterweighted leaves pivot upward between flap chambers 53 metres apart, giving a clear width of 12.5 metres and a closed vertical clearance of 26.5 metres. The approach spans are post-tensioned two-beam bridges with nine and three bays, and a foot and cycle path runs along the west side.

Planning began in late 1994, when Södertälje municipality and Vägverket agreed to co-finance the Södertälje package, which also covered Trafikplats Södertälje Syd, Trafikplats Moraberg and Viksängsleden. Construction of Saltsjöbron started in November 1998 with completion planned for December 2001. A breakdown of the south-side bascule machinery on 23 March 2002 led to modifications of the structure and control system before the bridge opened to traffic that year.

The road over the bridge, Viksängsleden, takes its name from the Viksängen district it links to Södra, and the bridge was financed through the 1994 Södertälje package agreed between the municipality and Vägverket. Its opening span shares the waterway with the E4 bridge, so drivers and cyclists on the western path watch the bascule leaves rise for canal traffic.

Traffic is halted periodically when vessels require passage, so it helps to plan with flexibility in mind. Pedestrians and cyclists can cross here, and the walkway offers good views of the canal and water activity below.

The two bascule leaves meet over a 53-metre clear span, and the whole deck is only 12.5 metres wide at mid-bridge. Hydraulic cylinders built into the bascule chambers open and close it, giving a closed clearance of 26.5 metres for shipping. The bridge is facade-lit at night to form a gateway on the canal.