Middle Rhine Valley Bridge Sankt Goar

Between the Schierstein Bridge nearby the city of Wiesbaden and the city of Koblenz there is currently no crossing over the Rhine river for over 100 km. The state government of Rhineland-Palatine thus wants to have a new bridge built near Sankt Goar in order to promote the local economy. The dramatic scenery of the upper middle Rhine Valley officially became enlisted in the UNESCO-World heritage program in 2002 and the design for the new bridge thus needs to blend into the landscape seamlessly.

A study of the environmental impact of the new bridge was conducted prior to the design. Designed for a driving speed of 50 km/h, two lanes of traffic and a pedestrian and bike path on one side the new bridge is designed with maximum slenderness and will not attract non-regional or heavy truck traffic.

The site is 5 km from the famous Loreley-rock downriver and out sight from Sankt Goar. At this point the bridge does not disrupt any important view corridor. ingenhoven architects have designed a slender steel core bridge that has a sickle-shaped in plan. Simple, yet elegantly the curved ramps huddles against the river banks. The Rhine only swirls around two narrow columns.