By Jordan Lebovich, JBL Photography
The design for the Sundial Bridge was conceived by Spanish
architect Santiago Calatrava, the world’s premier bridge designer. Calatrava
has built bridges, airports, rail terminals, stadiums, and other structures
around the world, but this is his first freestanding bridge in the United
States.
The Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is for pedestrians and
bicycles and crosses the Sacramento River in the heart of Redding, California. With Mount Shasta visible in the distance,
the river flows below you as you stand on this beautiful bridge. The steel, glass, and granite span evokes a
sense of weightlessness and the translucent decking provides for spectacular
viewing at night.
The bridge opened
July 4, 2004 and forms a large sundial, hence its name. The support tower of the bridge forms a
single 217 foot mast that points due north at a cantilevered angle, casting a
shadow on the ground where blocks are set to indicate the hours of the day. It
is the world's largest sundial and the tip of the shadow moves at approximately
one foot per minute so that the Earth's rotation about its axis can be seen
with the naked eye.
The bridge is also environmentally sensitive to its river
setting. The tall pylon and cable stays allow the bridge to avoid the nearby
salmon-spawning habitat as there are no supports in the water. The cable-stayed structure has an inclined,
217 foot pylon constructed of 580 tons of steel. The deck is made up of 200
tons of glass and granite and is supported by more than 4,300 feet of cable.
The structure is stabilized by a steel truss, and rests on a foundation of more
than 115 tons of steel and 1,900 cubic yards of concrete. The McConnell
Foundation, a private, independent foundation, funded the majority of the
bridge’s $23 million cost.
Near the bridge is the Turtle Bay Museum. The Museum’s wood structure and
floor-to-ceiling glass walls help the building sit “lightly” on the natural
site. Large roof overhangs on the north
and west facades provide shade for visitors. Permanent and changing exhibit
galleries are housed in the Museum. For more photos, click on the picture above.
