Linköping received Sweden’s first multispan bridge
Skanska has designed, constructed and built the new St Lars Bridge in central Linköping. The bridge is Sweden’s first multispan bridge with integrated abutments – in other words, it has two abutments and two intermediate supports.
The old bridge was about 70 years old and in a state of disrepair. When it was time to demolish and design a new bridge, Skanska secured the contract.
We presented a new design and alternative construction models in the tender stage, which were more resource-efficient and had a lower environmental impact, including:
• Materials and transportation savings. The abutments were designed to enable a higher foundation. This dramatically reduced the need for excavation and fill materials. In turn, this reduced the amount of long-distance haulage and local transportation (CO2 emissions generated by local transportation were reduced by at least 50 tonnes).
• Financial savings for the municipality. Construction of the bridge may have cost more than the original bridge, but since fewer materials were required and we could reuse much of the old bridge, the municipality saved about SEK 400,000.
• The Tinnerbäcken River did not need to be rerouted. The original plan was to reroute the river through a concrete channel. By preserving the stretch of water under the bridge, turbidity and other environmental impacts were avoided.
As part of the bridge project, we also created a small park to utilize the transportation route that was used during the construction period. The route is now a gravel serpentine path that winds down to the Mahonia Valley.
St Lars Bridge is located in central Linköping and is a vital part of everyday life for many people. Approximately 10,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, as well as pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge is also important for public transport.
We began demolishing St Lars Bridge in 2006 and the new bridge was complete in 2007, about one year later.
