Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy

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Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy
Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy
The Liberty Bridge
Carries pedestrians
Crosses Reedy River
Locale Greenville, South Carolina
Design Single suspension with 2 inclined towers
Longest span 200 ft (61 m)
Total length 345 ft (105 m)
Width 12 ft (3.7 m)
Beginning date of construction 2003
Completion date 2004
Opening date 2004
Coordinates 34°50′40.3″N, 82°24′4.7″W

The Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy is a bridge in Greenville, South Carolina.

Contents

[edit] Description

Greenville's downtown is split by a wooded valley park containing the falls of the Reedy River. The Liberty Bridge is located just downstream from this group of waterfalls, replacing a 6-lane highway bridge that was demolished to improve the visibility and accessibility to the falls and adjacent park. The bridge has a curved clear span over the river that curves away from the falls, providing visitors with an aerial amphitheater from which to view the cascading water. The link gently slopes into the ravine and is supported by twin inclined towers and a single suspension cable with thin cable suspenders only on the side away from the falls, allowing for unobstructed views. The bridge, with a total length of approximately 380' and a clear span of 200', appears to float over the landscape. The twin towers and suspension cable are visible from vantage points around the city, calling attention and drawing visitors to the public park, falls and river.

[edit] Design and Construction

The Liberty Bridge was completed in 2004, with Boston-based Transportation Architects Rosales + Partners, Inc. providing conceptual, preliminary, and final designs, construction services, and community participation to the City of Greenville, SC. Rosales + Partners collaborated with structural engineers Schlaich Bergermann und Partner.

[edit] Awards

  • 2006 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Merit Award, American Society of Civil Engineers
  • 2006 Most Distinguished Award for Excellence in Recreation and Entertainment Structures, American Galvanizing Assoc.
  • 2006 Pinnacle Award for Best Project, Heavy Highway & Bridge Category, Carolinas Associated General Contractors.
  • 2005 Arthur G. Hayden Medal for a single recent outstanding achievement in bridge engineering demonstrating innovation in special use bridges.
  • 2005 Bridge Prize for special purpose bridges from the National Steel Bridge Alliance
  • 2005 International Footbridge Award in the aesthetics category (medium span), awarded in Venice, Italy.

[edit] External links