Unconventional swing bridge with rotating double bearings will cross 118 metres over the Odense Canal

Northern Europe’s longest swing bridge span will soon be in Odense, when construction of the 118-metre Odin’s Bridge is completed in 2014, reports trade publication Ingeniøren.

Specific requirements for operational safety in connection with the bridge over Odense Canal were key for the winning bidders in securing the contracts for the 300 million kroner structure.

Odense city council required that the swing bridge’s closed and open positions could not rest on the same bearing. To adhere to that requirement, the new design – developed by ISC Consulting Engineers – was based on safer rotating double plain bearings.

The new design allows for an effective redistribution of the bridge’s weight between its closed and open states when in motion. It will also give the bridge a greater turning radius than the traditional ball-bearing systems.

In addition, construction time for the bridge is expected to be much faster, because ball bearing systems typically take several years to construct. Moreover, servicing and maintenance of the new double bearings will be much easier.

The road on the bridge itself will be four lanes, divided by a median and with bicycle lanes on both sides.