Paradis residents have been waiting for more than two years for a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that would cross the light rail line and Nesttunvegen.

The bridge will be the longest plastic composite bridge in the world.

– In just under two weeks, the people of Paradis will be able to see a very rare sight when the 42-meter-long Paradis bridge crosses the street, said the construction manager at the county municipality, Håkon Tryti Nilssen.

The road remains closed

Spectators can catch a glimpse of the bridge being transported on September 24 and 25.

• Parts of Straumeveien, from the Fana rowing club to the roundabout at Fjøsanger, will be closed on Tuesday, September 24 from 6 p.m. to midnight the same day.
• Nesttunvegen will be closed from midnight Wednesday 25th until Thursday 26th September at 1200.
• Prime Minister Michelsen Street will be closed from 9am on Wednesday, September 25. The street will remain open after the bridge has been cleared.
• The bridge would have probably passed the Paradis school between 1400 and 1600.

Even if the scheme will cause traffic problems, Nilssen said they will still save a lot of time compared to what they would do with a regular concrete bridge.

– Yes, it is a bit difficult at the moment, but usually we can spend six months with traffic management. I hope this is also part of our savings and the community so that we don’t have to queue for months.

– Eternal

The bridge is due to be installed in September, but will likely be ready for use in late October or early November. Among other things, the bridge lacks railings and lights.

But when it’s finally ready to go, Nilssen hopes it could be the start of something new.

– If concrete weighs 800 tons, now it weighs 50 tons. So it’s easier to transport. Concrete and steel also have challenges in terms of maintenance. Basically, it’s eternal as a plastic product, although we have less experience in bridge engineering.

Because of all its advantages, construction managers are confident that this will open the door for further projects.

More expensive than expected

The bridge was originally budgeted at NOK 22 million, but Nilssen now says the final figure will exceed NOK 30 million. This is partly due to rising prices and the weakening krone.

– I feel like Paradis was pretty split on this, but now we think it’s a good thing.

There has been a lot of development in Paradis in recent years. BA Finn columnist Bjørn Tønder advocated changing the name of the entire district to Skjærsilden, due to Paradis’ unattractive appearance.

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Paradis Bridge: On the evening of September 26, the bridge will be lifted into place