London’s Cody Dock Rolling Bridge: A Creative Marvel that Rolls to Accommodate Boats

Brief

London’s Cody Dock Rolling Bridge is a unique, creative marvel that can roll a full 180 degrees to allow boats to pass underneath. Learn how this engineering feat came to be, and how it is part of the redevelopment of an artistic community hub.

Insight

London’s Cody Dock Rolling Bridge is a revolutionary piece of engineering that is part of the redevelopment of an artistic community hub in the city. This unique footbridge, made of weathered steel and oak, weighs around 13 tonnes and is designed to roll a full 180 degrees to allow boats to pass underneath.The bridge is powered by hand winches and includes scrap metal and concrete ballast to smoothly roll through its entire range of motion. The project was realized by architect Thomas Randall-Page and engineer Tim Lucas as an alternative to a traditional bascule bridge that was planned for the site.

The Cody Dock Rolling Bridge is partly inspired by Victorian-era infrastructure like canal locks and is designed to be a symbol of the dynamic creative community that is growing in the area. The bridge is part of a larger redevelopment project that aims to reopen the dock to the tidal waters of a nearby river. The bridge’s rolling motion is a spectacle in itself and adds to the long-established list of bridge-opening motions, making it a potential public attraction.