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Roanoke Pedestrian Bridge, Roanoke, Virginia


Roanoke Bridge
When the City of Roanoke built its new Convention Center and restored the adjacent grand old Hotel Roanoke, they had a problem. These facilities were separated from the city center by the second busiest rail line in the country. Their solution was to build a four-hundred-foot long glass enclosed pedestrian bridge, connecting fifty-foot tall glass terminals at each end . . . without stopping a single train . . . in just nine months from start to finish . . . And we did it!

Roanoke Bridge

Terminals, complete with escalators and glass enclosed elevator shafts, were constructed of a 96" x 84" grid system of 3" x 6" structural steel tube. We clad the steel with formed aluminum inside and applied a custom designed, thermal barrier curtainwall system, with LoweE insulating glass outside, including almost flat all glass roofs. Glass wall and roof segments weigning up to seven-hundred pounds were installed with our special crane-operated vacuum lifters. Glasco provided Medium Stile aluminum entrances throughout, with custom architectural hardware. We imported European Glassprotex 90 Minute Fire Rated Window and Door Systems to provide a clear glass separation between the terminals the bridge.
Roanoke Bridge Roanoke Bridge

Bridge wind loads calculate at 47PSF, the long spans move and flex a lot, and coal trains every fifteen minutes vibrates everything. The architect wanted a totally exposed structure enclosed with high performance LowE insulating glass, set into a 4" x 6" thermal barrier aluminum curtainwall system. Glasco designed the custom system, cantilever mounted 18" out off the bridge trusses. We fabricated and mounted formed aluminum panels inside between the roof and ceiling line, and at the floor to our frame. Interlocking expansion joints at each 72" frame module provides for flexure and movement. Side loaded jamb inserts were used to keep the glass from vibrating loose. Glasco designed the bridge soffit system of extruded, interlocking aluminum with accent reveals required by the architect.
Interior--Roanoke Bridge Interior--Roanoke Bridge
Roanoke Bridge

Terminal Terminal
Roanoke Bridge More than 100,000 pounds of aluminum in three custom Kynar painted finishes was fabricated and installed. More than 23,000 square feet of high performance LowE insulating glass was used. Because of long material lead times and a tight performance schedule, all material was ordered from our approved shop drawings, prefabricated at our plant, and shipped to the jobsite for installation. All work was completed on schedule. Following the initial punch list period, we have had no leaks or service call back.
Roanoke Bridge


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