AC Restaurants Cables-Stayed Bridges
The AC roadside restaurants in Veenendaal and Nieuwegein were situated on the wrong side of the highway for half of the potential customers. The budget for making a connection was directly related to an expected 25% increase in turnover. A tunnel was not an option due to complicated construction and social safety concerns. A cable bridge has none of these drawbacks and moreover could act as a contemporary signboard.
Suspended 20 feet above the road, the bridge poses no risk of collision. The 140 feet long main span just had to withstand the hoisting operation to connect it to the two inclined pylons, both of which have a sturdy concrete base to withstand accidents. The highway was blocked on a Saturday night for exactly 6½ hours to install the prefabricated middle part.
The glazed walkway provides a dry, protected and safe passage to the other side. Soon after construction, the bridges got their nickname: the grasshopper. Turnover increased with 70%.
Function | Infrastructure |
Status | Realized |
Client |
AC Restaurants en Hotels |
Location |
A27 bij Nieuwegein en A12 bij Veenendaal |
Project architect |
Hans van Heeswijk |
Project team |
Dick de Gunst, Stephanie Haumann, Hans van Heeswijk, Derk-Jan Wentink |
Start |
1995 |
Completed |
1999 |
Span |
72 m |
Downloads
pdf
|
acrestaurants-tuibruggen-brochure.pdf |