The Passerelle de la Paix is a 220m-long bridge  which opened to much fanfare on Monday 17 March. Arching elegantly over the Rhone River in Lyon, the 220m bridge provides a direct link between district six and the Park of Saint Clair at Caluire et Cuire.

Residents can now enjoy a leisurely stroll across the water, selecting one of two routes; the first begins at quay level and is divided into a bicycle lane and footpath while the second walkway follows the lower arch of the structure and meets the top path in the centre of the bridge. At this point the structure widens from its standard 5m-wide span to 8m and offers benches for users to sit and enjoy the view.

To ensure optimum usability, the bridge has been constructed using oak wood with anti-slip features and handrails with integrated LED lights. Additional lighting illuminates the Passerelle de la Paix when night falls to highlight this elegant new addition to the Lyon cityscape.

The structure consists of two arches formed of tube sections, which create the bottom chord, and a box-girder which creates the top chord; top and bottom chords are linked and stiffened by triangular steel elements and diagonals to create a truss structure. The elements of the three truss girders change their relative positions across the length of the bridge.

The steel elements for the superstructure were fabricated in Aigle, Switzerland and the two ends of the main arch assembled and welded onsite. The third piece of the arch - the central section - was brought to the site in a single piece. After the installation of the temporary cable support system, the 160m-long bridge structure was floated to the site on two 60m-long barges steered in parallel and lowered into its final position.

Completion : 2014

Total length : 220 m / Clear span : 157 m

Cost : 9.7 M Euros