A620 Foot and Cycle Bridge

Knight Architects was part of the winning team for this international design competition for a foot and cycle bridge over the busy A620 highway in Toulouse.

The 118m-crossing will provide a new Active Mobility link between the future tube station (line 3) and Toulouse Aerospace district and existing Montaudran neighbourhood on the north, and the scientific campus and cycleway along the Canal du Midi, south of the A620.

To create a joyful, comfortable, and safe user experience, the crossing uses a subtle curved language for both the alignment and the steelwork geometry. Combined with the continuity of materials and railings, the route is legible from A to B, allowing users to easily understand where the crossing starts and ends.

Inspired by the aeronautical profiles that relates to the site's history, the design is based on a simple, but carefully sculpted, asymmetric weathering steel box girder, which crosses the A620 and the Bernard Maris Avenue in three spans (15m/57m/46m). The inclination of the sides of the box girder and its variation in height will create contrasts of light and shadow, increasing the perceived slenderness of the structure.

Views of the surrounding landscape are framed through the girder's geometry, which also hides the adjacent highway gantry and provides protection against wind, rain, and noise from the motorway. Additionally, the bridge's sinuous curvature provides a dynamic user experience; a memorable and attractive addition for motorway users; and respects the skyline of the future ZAC Toulouse Aerospace.