Salamanca is one of the oldest universities of the Medieval Europe, and the oldest of Spain. Its historical and artistic wealth, which includes a magnificent roman bridge, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site making from the commission of the construction of a new access to its old town a delicate mission, which was fulfilled in a respectful and adequate way.
Our project, chosen by the Junta de Castilla y León in a designing and construction competition, proposed a multispan continuous deck over the Tormes River, with very pure forms, which used huge precast elements for the creation of the large lateral cantilevers in its cross section.
The "Felipe VI" bridge, which name was given by the local authorities, is 190 meters long, giving access to the city from the south riverbank though the crowded "Paseo de Canalejas" St.
The platform with 20m of width, is composed by a central box girder constructed on site, with two lateral cantilevers materialized by precast elements. Each one of them includes a careful-designed skylight, equipped with a projector to illuminate the river water and the deck soffit with a diffused and flickering softness at night. The piles, which were also illuminated, are provided with canoe-shape bases.
