Molina de Segura Footbridge
FVAI’s aim has been to create a pedestrian and cycle connection linking the town centre of Molina de Segura with the municipality’s north-western greenway, generating a new public space in direct contact with the market gardens and the River Segura.
The design of the footbridge seeks to integrate the infrastructure within the natural and urban landscape, shaping a new area of interaction between the town and its surroundings. The intention is to encourage pedestrian and cycle routes while incorporating high-quality green spaces, turning the project into a driver of urban regeneration.
The new footbridge in Molina de Segura, designed by FVAI ESTRUCTURAS ARQUITECTURAS, is a project in which a team of engineers, architects, draughtsmen and economists have worked with care and generosity on the transformation of the territory that this infrastructure entails.
The project is located at a strategic point of connection between the urban fabric and the banks of the Segura. The intervention provides a comprehensive solution to the convergence of several roads, shaping a node that answers the initial challenge: to provide the San Roque neighbourhood with new public spaces and green areas.
The proposed footbridge is conceived as a light, efficient element that makes the most of the structural possibilities of rolled steel. An entirely metallic orthotropic deck has been designed, formed by upper and lower plates joined by stiffeners, together with a lateral box girder that produces an L-shaped resisting section. This arrangement optimises the material and gives the whole a high stiffness, with deck and girder working as a single structural system.
Thanks to this configuration, the structure achieves a balance between functionality, efficiency and aesthetics. The variable section and the orientation of the deck frame views towards the market gardens and the channel of the Segura, heightening the dialogue between structure and landscape.
The exclusive use of steel brings notable advantages in terms of sustainability: it is a recyclable and reusable material, with a long service life and a low environmental impact. By eliminating the use of concrete in the deck, the emissions associated with that material are removed entirely, contributing to a solution that is more respectful of its surroundings.
The integration of the footbridge within its urban and natural setting has been a priority throughout the design process. Visually, the footbridge reads as a light piece embedded in the river landscape. Its orientation and geometry generate engaging routes. Its design avoids direct views towards the nearby dwellings and opens up to panoramas of the river and the market gardens, reducing its visual impact and enhancing the experience of the pedestrian journey.
