The world’s longest composite bridge was recently installed in Bergen, Norway.

Paradis Bridge was fabricated by CSUB in Arendal, south east Norway, for Vestland County Municipality to take pedestrians and cyclists over a light railway and a road. The structure is composed of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP), a composite material incorporating carbon and glass fibres, and according to CSUB, at 42m, it is the world’s longest such bridge.

The benefits of FRP in bridge construction, says Vestland County Municipality, are a longer service life and easy maintenance.

Royal Transport arranged for the 47 tonne truss bridge to be brought round the tip of Norway by ship to Bergen and then carried by car ferry to the neighbourhood of Paradis. This leg of the journey required a careful calculation to get the 7m wide structure through the lifting bridge at Straume. It was then brought into position on a multiwheeler and lifted into place overnight.

Consto was the main contractor for Vestland, with engineering by FiReCo. Multiconsult and Royal HaskoningDHV provided consultancy services.