The pedestrian bridge at Rio Hondo Community College was conceived of as a natural link between adjacent elevated mesas on the steep hillside that comprises the college campus. Connecting an existing parking area with the upper portion of the academic campus, the ten foot wide bridge spans approximately 140 feet across a wooded ravine with a roadway at its bottom.
The materials - structural weathering steel shapes and stainless steel cables, fittings and lighted handrail with a stained concrete deck - all require minimum maintenance, an important consideration for the college's Facilities Department.
The cable suspension system allows the structure to present minimal mass to the viewer, while the "tower" elements mimic the vertical thrust of the trees surrounding the bridge thus harmoniously blending into the natural environment.
