The construction of long span footbridge over Vistula river in Cracow

The new footbridge over Vistula River recently built in Cracow spans two riverbanks in the historical city centre, what strongly influenced the architectural shape, structural solutions and construction technology of the footbridge. This is the 148 m long tied arch steel structure with one main arch girder of circular cross section and twin suspended orthotropic steel decks covered with timber planks. The most challenging part of the project was the bridge assembly and erection. The Vistula River needed to remain open during construction because it serves as a navigation channel for tourist fleet and so conventional methods of construction were questioned. The footbridge was horizontally rotated across the river from its construction site on the right bank into its final position on abutment on the left bank. The paper has briefly described the new footbridge, its structural solutions as well as the unusual technology used for the construction, i.e. horizontal rotation method.