Jakob Rope Systems Start Construction Work On Disentis Suspension Bridge

Graubünden's longest suspension bridge will soon be built in Disentis/Mustér. With a length of almost 300 meters and a clearance of 100 meters from the ground, the suspension bridge will create a spectacular footpath from Mumpé Medel to Disentis/Mustér across the narrow, deep Rhine Gorge. From a tourist perspective, the suspension bridge will then connect two waypoints on the historic mule track over the Lukmanier Pass.

The ARGE Jakob Rope Systems / Pfeifer / Von Rotz & Wiedemar AG was awarded the contract for the complete solution for this suspension bridge. The offer includes planning, manufacturing and assembly. For Jakob Rope Systems, this is another bridge construction project with which we can demonstrate our expertise in rope and lightweight structures for small and large spans.

Jakob Rope Systems designed the structure of the suspension bridge and will carry out the construction planning. The structure will blend delicately into the landscape. The bridge's supporting structure is made up of six supporting cables (Ø 45 mm, VVS) below the walkway and two supporting cables at handrail level. Two cables (Ø 26 mm, Forte-OSS) are used for guying. A guying structure made of stainless steel cables and connections reduces unwanted swinging during use, transfers forces when exposed to wind and prevents major deformations.

The steel frame construction of the bridge girder is suspended from the supporting cables. The Jokob Webnet with a height of 1.30 meters serves as a side railing filling to provide the necessary fall protection and also carries loads.

The assembly of the suspension bridge will begin at the end of August 2024. The work will be carried out by Von Rotz & Wiedemar. The bridge construction should be completed by November 2024 - according to the current planning of the responsible client.

The Jakob Engineering team is currently preparing the basis for the steel construction workshop plans (Huser Stahlbau, Kerns). The planning for the production of the delivered components is also currently being prepared.

Due to its length (approx. 300 metres) and a clearance of almost 100 metres from the ground, the suspension bridge la pendenta over the source of the Rhine near Disentis/Mustér is one of the most spectacular suspension bridges in Switzerland .

An impressive suspension bridge that is so easily accessible already represents an exceptional tourist offer . Suspension bridges of a certain length and exposure are often presented in the media as family outing tips .

Various aspects are crucial for tourism success:

• Easy to reach with little difference in height from the car park or public transport stop (max. 30 minutes walk)
• Spectacular landscape or spectacular building
• A story in which the bridge is embedded.

These factors are almost ideal in the case of the suspension bridge project in Disentis. The Acla stop on the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway and the parking spaces in the village center or at the Fontauna Center are about a 10-minute walk away, without having to overcome a noticeable difference in height. The spectacular crossing of the "small" Rhine Gorge near Disentis using a suspension bridge is linked to historical, still well-preserved mule tracks on both sides, so that old is combined with new and the bridge fits into both a historical context with a story to tell and new tourist uses and offers.

The Rhine is a central element of the tourism offering for the entire upper Surselva. The suspension bridge that spans the "small" Rhine Gorge near Sontga Gada in Disentis is both a tourist attraction in its own right and a gateway to various regional and national tourist offerings. The importance of the Rhine as a connecting element, both in product design and in communication, is particularly evident in the cooperation project between the tourism organizations along the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein.

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