Hörn Bridge

The Hörn Bridge is a folding bridge in the city of Kiel in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The bridge spans the end of the Kiel Fjord and was designed by Gerkan, Marg and Partners.Design and constructionThe Hörn Bridge is a three-segment bascule bridge with a main span of 25.5m that folds in the shape of the letter "N". The bridge was built in 1997 and did cost DM 16 million.Many Kielians were skeptical in regard to the design. There were repeated malfunctions of the mechanism upon startup, hence one of its nicknames, the "Klappt-Nix-Brücke" (Folds-not Bridge). In order to ensure crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, a hydraulically operated retractable bridge was built directly adjacent as an interim solution and is still used during repair and maintenance of the folding bridge. The Hörn Bridge is now accepted as a technical masterpiece and has become a tourist attraction.LocationThe Hörn Bridge is 5m wide and connects the city centre on the west bank of the Hörn with the Gaarden quarter on the east bank. The pedestrian bridge is especially important for passengers connecting between the Norway Ferry Terminal (Norwegenkai) and the main railway station.Usually the bridge opens once every hour in order to allow small- and medium-sized ships to travel in and out of the Hörn.