Marathon runners are shocked when a big bridge starts to wiggle: « is not a safety problem » (Ghent)

Thousands of runners and supporters gathered on Sunday at the Watersportbaan for the (half) marathon through Ghent. To get to the start in the Zuiderlaan, many wanted to cross the water via the Annie Vande Wielebrug, the walking and cycling bridge over the Watersportbaan that opened to the public last year.

But anyone who walked down the bridge at peak times on Sunday felt like in a cabin at sea. The blue bridge fluctuated, and that was not due to the wind. « If a lot of people walk over the bridge at the same time, it may be that it starts to move, » says Thijs van Roosbroeck of the Ney & Partners architectural firm, which designed the bridge.

Comfort

« It is certainly not about a safety problem, » he reassures. « It is more about comfort. From a certain length, vibrations can occur with a bridge. » At the bottom of the bridge, dampers were therefore placed, based on tests that the agency carried out.

“It is certainly not about a safety problem, rather about comfort”

Thijs van Roosbroeck

Ney & Partners

« But of course we can hardly invite hundreds of people for a test. We can possibly see if we adjust the dampers, because it is not the intention that people start to panic because the bridge wiggles. » Fortunately, panic did not break out on Sunday under the runners, although it was a shock for those who suddenly felt the bridge move under his feet.

Read too. The latest bicycle bridge in Gent is open: « Annie had laughed well with it himself »

The wobbling bridge is reminiscent of the Millennium Bridge in London, which in 2000 was given the appropriate nickname The Wibbly Wobbly Bridge. The large bridge over the Thames was opened in that year, but had to close again three days later because she moved too much. Two years later, the bridge only opened again, and now thousands of people can carefree over it without wiggling too much.