Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, London

Architect	Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
Date Built	Completed 1998
Location	Royal Victoria Dock
Description
At first glance this rather high-level bridge looks as if the central section must lift up to facilitate the passage of boats until you realize that there aren't any boats in the Royal Victoria Dock that would require that much clearance. The explanation is that this bridge was designed to be a footbridge and a transporter bridge with a glass pod suspended below the footbridge deck carrying passengers across the dock. This was to be the second phase of the development of the bridge predicated on the extent of the development across from the EXCEL Arena and the traffic demand. The architect's website describes the bridge structure as, " ... a steel Fink truss spanning 130m onto a pair of trestles at each end. The six tapering conical masts are of varying length and are linked by cables to tie down points. At each end a further cable carries tension forces to ground via a distinctive ‘bowsprit’. .... ... The very slender aerodynamic profile is achieved by extending the box section deck upwards into the pedestrian zone as required to meet the loads. These extensions form distinctive steel mounds or ‘keels’ which are concealed by the inclined balustrading along both edges of the bridge." At either end of the £5m bridge are elevator towers to lift and lower pedestrians wanting to walk across the elevated deck. In the image below you can see the landing deck, between the bridge supports, where the gondola would come to rest, if it is ever added to the bridge.