Burggravenlaan, Gent
Renovation of a major traffic bridge and construction of cycle and pedestrian paths
The Stropbrug, with the Burggravenlaan on one side of the water and the Achilles Heyndrickxlaan on the other, forms an important connection between the Gent-Sint-Pieters station and Ledeberg. It is also the last bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Scheldt to Zwijnaarde. Because the bridge dates from the 70s and, like other bridges from that period, shows signs of aging and years of poor maintenance, the city of Ghent asked for it to be renovated. Our Sustainable Mobility team was responsible for the entire superstructure.
We provided comfortable cycle and pedestrian paths on both sides and renovated the bridge itself: the concrete rot was structurally repaired, the support equipment and joints were replaced, the decorative panels were removed and renewed, etc.
Today, the “worst cycle path in Ghent” is no more. Traffic between Achilles Heyndrickxlaan and Burggravenlaan is smoother and safer than ever, with raised cycle paths in red asphalt, fully-fledged footpaths, soothing greenery, safe crossings and stair constructions along which pedestrians can reach the bridge crossing.
And we also paid the necessary attention to the sewer system. A large part of the urban area is drained via the sewer system in the project area. We worked with drain chutes more than two metres wide to cope with the large volumes, and used special construction methods to ensure stability around the track and approach ramps.
“Within this project, we were faced with specific boundary conditions: the existing bridge structure, the connection to a regional road, and the connections to central intersections that had to be adapted to accommodate safe cycling infrastructure and road design.”
“For a sustainable road design, not only mobility, traffic flow, and road safety are important, but above all technical feasibility as well.”
