No Cars Allowed On The Eco-Friendly Kurilpa Bridge
At 470m, the Kurilpa Bridge in Brisbane is one of the longest footbridges of its kind and so eco-friendly that it generates more energy than it uses for its lighting system. Oh, and it’s kinda pretty.
I’m glad to see that it’s finally open for business because the way the Kurilpa Bridge was designed definitely enforces the green “Hey you! This bridge is made for walking” attitude:
The energy-saving lighting system will be powered by 84 solar panels that collectively generate a daily output of about 100KWh and an average yearly output of 38MWh. The solar energy generates supplies 75% of the power required to run the LED setup in the fully lit mode, but in most lighting configurations, 100% of the energy required will come from the solar panels. Surplus electricity generated by the solar array will be returned to the main grid.
How green and pretty it is aside, does that criss-cross design remind anyone else of pick-up sticks? [Ecofiend via kTreehugger]
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Apparently it is built using a “Tensegrity” structure. See that road running beneath it? If a truck strikes the bridge it may just collapse. There was a bit of drama with having to alter some of the roads around it to make sure no high vehicle could pass under it.
I’m from Brisbane. This bridge is a piece of shit. It is ugly and looks unfinished. Everyone I know hates it. It looks out of place with the rest of the city and landscape. I would say it will look terrible in a few years, but it already does.
Agree with Scott muchly. Not only a stupid design, but it essentially connects the “legal” district of the CBD to the new Art Gallery. I went for a skate over the thing the other day and it is fail. They haven’t even put a surface “coating” on the walkway, so when it’s wet you’d be wanting to have some decent shoes. Also the “eco-friendly lighting” is not flush with the surface of the concrete (WTF were they thinking?).