Finalisation of the main structure of the Les Cèdres footbridge, Lausanne, Switzerland

This summer, the execution of the main structure and the finish floor of the Les Cèdres bicycle and pedestrian footbridge in Chavannes-près-Renens (Switzerland) was completed. The bridge aims to connect two residential areas in strong development, located in the west part of Lausanne and separated by the A1 motorway, running along the northern shore of Geneva Lake.

The footbridge and its structural concept aim to minimize the visual impact and allow for a fast construction sequence, with the lowest possible interference to the motorway traffic. To achieve these goals, a slender arched-shaped frame is designed, with a rise-to-span ratio equal to 1:16. The structure is constituted by a main span and two lateral spans, leading to an integral footbridge whose total length is 62 m and with a clear distance equal to 56.50 m between pier bases.

Currently, works continue to complete the handrail of the access ramps, built on artificial hills.

The footbridge execution culminates an extremely long process, which began in 2012 with the international competition, won by the Spanish team composed of MC2 and Cano Lasso Architects. After implementing the different phases of the design process, MC2 has carried out the Construction Supervision in association with the Engineering firm MFIC Ingénieurs Civils SA, based in Morges, Switzerland.