Infrastructure: A New Cycle Path Through the Trees in Limburg

Text description provided by the architects. The new cycle path through the trees adds a unique experience to the Limburg cycle route network. Cyclists ride 700 metres along a cycle bridge – a double circle 100 metres in diameter – that rises gradually (gradient of 3-4 %) to a height of 10 metres before then descending again at the same gradient, giving cyclists and walkers a sensational 360° experience.

For the sake of safety, cycling is one-way and there is a subtle wire net with a handrail. The new cycle bridge sits on a structure of 449 unique columns made of weathered steel to symbolize the trunks of the pine trees, so the entire structure blends beautifully into its environment.

Respect for flora and fauna was key to both the design of the cycle bridge and its construction in the forest. The project was implemented with nature as a companion and constitutes a logical link in the Bosland ‘Cycle of Life’.

The trees that were felled to clear the space for the cycle path have been given a new life at the start of the route in the form of an information pavilion made from the stacked recycled tree trunks. Moreover, the coniferous trees are still represented in a symbolic way: the new cycle bridge sits on a structure of 449 unique columns made of weathered steel to symbolize the trunks of the fir trees, so the entire structure blends beautifully into its environment.

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