In Erfurt, the state capital of Thuringia, the “Promenadendeck” is being built as a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Gera flood ditch and the avenue Stauffenbergallee. Replacing an existing prestressed concrete structure from GDR times, the new bridge marks both the kickoff and an important part of the planned extension of Erfurt’s city center related to the district development of “ICE-City”. The design, developed together with DKFS Architects, won the first prize in a competition in 2017. The structure is a box girder that meets the structural and load-bearing constraints, traffic flow requirements, accessibility, and the architectural objectives. Above the road, the deck comes as a minimal box with an elegant stitch. Subsequently, the bridge passes over the city’s tramway line, keeping the required clearance free with the strongly reduced cross-section. From there, the box girder opens into the trough cross-section above the flood ditch. Wide seating steps with a view into the area’s greenery enhance the public space. The fanning steel structure provides a short and a long connection, offering pedestrians and cyclists a fully accessible crossing either of the Gera flood ditch or the busy avenue Stauffenbergallee with its planned tramway.
