A bridge that retracts with a series of cranks? This amazing, almost medieval system, which does not use electricity, has just seen the light of day on the River Lea in east London. In particular, it is more practical than a fixed bridge to make room for boats circulating under the structure. The bridge turns along the edges of the canal using hand-operated levers.
Cables are wrapped around the edges of the Cody Dock Rolling Bridge, which allows it to be moved 180 degrees and rotated on its axis. To avoid creating an imbalance, steel and concrete are scattered inside the square edges of the 13-ton bridge.
It would be the first bridge of its kind, according to the architect, Thomas Randall-Page. It is inspired by the simple mechanisms of Victorian industrial design, with its serrated edges and steel gears. The moving walkway is also reminiscent of drawbridges that raise and lower. “Using weathering steel and untreated raw steam bent oak, the aesthetic is further influenced by the area’s maritime and shipbuilding past, traces of which are scattered throughout the area“, specifies the architect who thus associates his creation with a “canal lock“. This object is also the realization of Thomas Randall-Page’s fascination for movement and its playful aspect.
Easier repair in the event of a breakdown
But why manual use in our time when everything (or almost) works automatically? For architect Thomas Randall-Page, this manual control is a way to ensure that the steel and oak bridge is more easily repaired in the event of malfunction. Operators will not need to resort to “complex sensors“, he underlines to the magazine Dezeen. The system does not effectively use any external energy source. Only downside, manual opening takes longer but the platform does not have to open every day, only once a week, which is less restrictive. It crosses a channel in Cody Wharf used for permanent boat moorings.
