BRIDGES FOR LEIDSCHE RIJN: THE SECOND GENERATION

LEIDSCHE RIJN, 2005

The master plan for Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht, was developed by Maxwan between '93 and '95. With 30.000 houses, it is one of the largest urban schemes in Dutch history. The new city includes 700'000 m2 office space, 280 ha business Park, service facilities, some large parks and infrastructure. The plan will be completed in 2015. The scheme features a large network of canals that are part of the sustainable water-management plan. Some 100 bridges connect the road network over these canals and 46 bridges have been commissioned; 40 of them have been completed to date. The bridges for Leidsche Rijn hardly have to bridge: the canals are not wide and are not accessible to big boats. Maxwan decided not to make an issue out of the span, but to rather treat each bridge as a piece of public space with a special gift: to be above water. Because a good road implies efficiency and luxury of connection - for all users - the smoothest links possible were made, curving the sides of the bridge to match the traffic givens on either side of the water. 'Ponds' were allowed to appear in the deck of the bridge, where asphalt was not needed. The bridges are outlined with mirror-polished stainless steel railings.

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