Stratford Town Centre Link

The Town Centre Link forms a vital pedestrian crossing over one of the busiest sections of rail in London. The bridge serves shoppers, residents, workers and visitors to the Westfield Stratford City retail destination and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, established as part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Chief amongst numerous complex constraints was how to install the structure economically and safely, while maintaining rail movements and station activity beneath. The innovative design solution employs a 6m-tall Vierendeel truss, which was launched into position, and provides a broad 12m-wide deck and fully glazed sides, providing secure enclosure while framing long views to the city.

The 130m bridge is gently curved in plan and the inner chord of the truss is warped so that it is inclined to 15 degrees at midspan. This creates a dynamic sense of movement and increases the view of the sky where the truss is tallest. The careful use of weathering steel brings a sophisticated, urban appearance and simplifies maintenance requirements over the 11 electrified rail tracks.