Chords Bridge

The Chords Bridge (גשר המיתרים, Gesher HaMeitarim), also known as the Bridge of Strings, is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem, Israel. When the Jerusalem Light Rail is complete, the bridge will be used by trams running from outlying Jerusalem neighborhoods to the center of the city. Incorporated in the bridge is a glass-sided pedestrian crossing spanning the busy intersection of Herzl Boulevard and Jaffa Road.

History

Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, its construction began in 2007 at a cost of 220 million NIS, to the Jerusalem municipality and Israeli government, totaling over twice the original planned expenditure. The bridge was inaugurated on June 25, 2008 in honor of Israel's 60th anniversary. Tens of thousands attended the event which added half a million US dollars to the project's budget.

Design-wise, the goal of the bridge was to add a defining visual element to the "skyline" of the entrance of Jerusalem, while on a more practical note the bridge's purpose is to carry the Jerusalem Light Rail, resolving traffic and pedestrian issues.

Similar to Calatrava's earlier (1992) design, the Puente del Alamillo in Seville, Spain, this subtype does not balance forces by using a symmetrical arrangement of cable forces on each side of the tower, but rather makes use of an angled cantilever tower loaded by cable stays on one side only, and consists of a single pylon counterbalancing a 160 metre span of the 360 meter structure with lengths of cables. While this leads to a less structurally efficient structure, it makes a dramatic architectural statement.

A striking feature of the bridge is a single 119-metre high mast supported by 66 steel cables that, as of 2008, constitutes the tallest structure in Jerusalem (although the nearby Crowne Plaza hotel appears taller from many angles on account of being built on higher ground). The bridge has become a tourist attraction and another symbol of Jerusalem, although the light rail project which is currently more than a year behind schedule will not be operative until 2010.

Criticism

The project has been criticized as an extravagant and costly solution to a problem that could have been solved by cheaper means. The aesthetics of the bridge and its impact on Jerusalem has also sparked controversy. Some say the bridge, situated at the city's crowded entrance, does not have enough space around it for people to appreciate its artistic merit Many feel that the bridge is simply out of its element and question whether it fits visually in the city. A pedestrian bridge designed by Calatrava in Petah Tikva, Israel, though much smaller in size, also uses a single mast and cables.

See also

• Cable-stayed bridge
• Side-spar cable-stayed bridge

References

External references

• Deconstructing Calatrava - Haaretz - Israel News. Retrieved on 2008-07-02..
• The evolution of Calatrava's Bridge of Strings - Jerusalemite - Jerusalem Metro Blog. Retrieved on 2008-08-12..