The Laguna Bridge is a unique example of a circular bridge design that helps slow traffic and limits impact on the ecosystem.
The Laguna Bridge consists of two semicircular halves, each half is a one-way street and supported by concrete pillars. The engineer’s goal is to help drivers run through the lagoon smoothly instead of using motorized rafts like before. The bridge was designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the company behind many famous projects around the world such as the 432 Park Avenue supertall building in New York, the Japanese National Stadium in Tokyo, and the Walkie Talkie building in Tokyo. 20 Fenchurch Street, London, according to IFL Science.
According to Dezeen, the bridge across the lagoon cost $10 million to build, built from more than 450 tons of shaped steel, 40 km of pre-stressed cables and 3,500 m3 of concrete. The bridge was completed in 2014, one year after construction.
At first glance, the shape of the bridge could easily be considered unnecessary, but the architectural firm designed the structure with a number of specific goals in mind. First of all, Garzón Lagoon is one of 22 places in Uruguay classified as Important Biodiversity Areas for birds, home to Chilean flamingos, plovers, and endangered amphibians such as Darwin’s toad. Therefore, creating a bridge that has as little impact as possible on the surrounding ecosystem and water is important.
“By separating the two paths on the circular bridge, the design reduces the time any point on the water surface is continuously shadowed as the Sun moves across the sky and minimizes the exposed area. influenced by shading, improving penetration and dispersion of light throughout the water column”, explains Rafael Viñoly Architects.
The bridge is also designed to slow people down in both directions. The construction’s slightly tight curve radius forces motor vehicles to slow considerably when crossing the bridge, encouraging drivers to take in the area’s natural beauty.
The pedestrian walkway on both sides of the traffic lane provides access to the opening in the center of the bridge and its perimeter. There, visitors can sit down to fish and enjoy the scenery.
They’re Khang (Theo IFL Science)