Hörn Bridge
Encyclopedia
Folding bridge
A folding bridge is a type of movable bridge.An example of a folding bridge is the Hörnbrücke in the city of Kiel in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is a three-segment bascule bridge that folds in the shape of the letter N.-See also:*Movable bridge for a list of other movable bridge types...
in the city of Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
state of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
. The bridge spans over the end of the Kiel Fjord
Kiel Fjord
Kiel Fjord is an approximately long fjord or firth of the Baltic Sea along the shores of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Formed by glacial movement during the last Ice Age, it lies between the Danish Wold and Wagria. It originates at the Hörn in centre-city Kiel and merges into the Bay of Kiel.The...
(called Hörn) and was designed by Gerkan, Marg and Partners
Gerkan, Marg and Partners
Gerkan, Marg and Partners is an architectural company based in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in 1965, and now has 400 employees in 10 offices.-Awards:...
.
Design and construction
The Hörn Bridge is a three-segment basculeBascule
Bascule may refer to:* A Bascule bridge, a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic...
bridge with a main span of 25.5 metres (83.7 ft) that folds in the shape of the letter "N". The bridge was built in 1997 and did cost DM 16 million.
Many Kielians were skeptical in regard to the design. There were repeated malfunctions of the mechanism upon startup, hence one of its nicknames, the "Klappt-Nix-Brücke" (Folds-not Bridge). In order to ensure crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, a hydraulically operated retractable bridge
Retractable bridge
A retractable bridge is a type of movable bridge in which the deck can be rolled or slid backwards to open a gap for crossing traffic, usually a ship on a waterway. This type is sometimes referred to as a thrust bridge....
was built directly adjacent as an interim solution and is still used during repair and maintenance of the folding bridge. The Hörn Bridge is now accepted as a technical masterpiece and has become a tourist attraction.
Location
The Hörn Bridge is 5 metres (16.4 ft) wide and connects the city centre on the west bank of the Hörn with the Gaarden quarter on the east bank. The pedestrianPedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
bridge is especially important for passengers connecting between the Norway Ferry Terminal (Norwegenkai) and the main railway station
Kiel Hauptbahnhof
is the main railway station in the northern German city of Kiel. It consists of six rail tracks, all of which are electrified, and is a hub for train services to nearby towns such as Plön and Eckernförde.-Overview:...
.
Usually the bridge opens once every hour in order to allow small- and medium-sized ships to travel in and out of the Hörn.
The bridge offers one of the best panoramic views of the city of Kiel. It is also at the beginning and terminating point of a scenic route: the tourist route from Bremervörde to the Kieler Förde connects approximately 50 different ferries, bridges, ship locks, tidal barriers and maritime museums and its landmarks of the Rendsburg
Rendsburg High Bridge
The Rendsburg High Bridge is a railway viaduct on the Neumünster–Flensburg line that also serves as a transporter bridge. The bridge crosses the Kiel Canal at Rendsburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein...
and Osten
Osten Transporter Bridge
Osten Transporter Bridge is an 80 metre long transporter bridge over the Oste River in Osten , Lower Saxony, Germany. It was built in 1908-9 and was in regular use until 1974 and is now only used as tourist attraction....
transporter bridges.