Nicky Blackburn
October 10, 2017

A bridge in Beersheva’s Gav Yam high-tech park was chosen as the winner in the long-span category of the triannual Footbridge Awards, at the Footbridge 2017 conference held in Berlin, Germany recently.

The Beersheva High-Tech Park Bridge, nicknamed the double-helix bridge or the DNA bridge, because of its unusual design, was chosen by a panel of judges, beating out bridges in Canada and New Zealand.

The $25 million footbridge, which is 210 meters long and has 36 varied sections, was commissioned by Beersheva municipality, and designed by Bar Orian Architects. Structural engineers were Rokach Ashkenazi Engineers, and lighting design was by Orly Avron-Alkabes.

A detail of the bridge. Photo by Amit Geron

The bridge, which lights up at night, was opened in January 2016, and links Beersheva University railway station in the north of the city with the Gav Yam High Tech Park, which is next door to Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

In their decision, the judges said the bridge was a “thorough, rigorous and well-resolved design and an imaginative concept for a long span crossing. It fits well within the railway environment – the footbridge has a clear structural scheme with rhythm, and creates a space where pedestrians feel protected when crossing the train platforms.”

The Footbridge Awards are presented once every three years and recognize the best in design, renovation and lighting of bridges for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians that have been completed in the previous three years.

The competition is sponsored by Bridge Design & Engineering magazine.

The long span category is for new footbridges with a maximum clear span greater than 75 meters.

For a look at some other stunning bridges in Israel click here.

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