Floating cycling and walking experience through nature and heritage
Cycling between Terrils Dilsen-Stokkem
Cycling between Terrils Dilsen-Stokkem
In the heart of the former mining area between Maasmechelen and Dilsen-Stokkem, a unique cycling and walking connection has been created. The floating bridge adapts to the water level and integrates seamlessly into a landscape where heritage, nature, and experience come together. The intervention combines a functional path with landscape subtlety, respecting the spatial quality of this remarkable site.
The design was inspired by the Fibonacci sequence, where mathematical logic and natural order converge.
This inspiration resulted in a pure geometry that flows seamlessly into the landscape, creating a harmonious rhythm for cyclists and walkers. The bridge is at once subtle and striking, visually adapting to its surroundings without losing its character.
With an impressive length of 400 meters, it is not only the longest floating cycling bridge in Belgium but also unique in the world. Its imposing scale makes it both an architectural feat and a functional, practical solution for connecting areas across water.
With an impressive length of 400 meters, it is not only the longest floating cycling bridge in Belgium but also unique in the world. Its imposing scale makes it both an architectural feat and a functional, practical solution for connecting areas across water.
Cycling Between Terrils is a 400-meter-long floating cycling bridge that creates a new connection between Maasmechelen and Dilsen-Stokkem. The bridge is located on a former gravel pond between two terrils, in a landscape of exceptional ecological and heritage value. It consists of thirty modular concrete pontoon elements. The bridge is fully floating and anchored with underwater moorings. This construction allows the bridge to move with the water level, which can fluctuate by up to 130 centimeters at this location. The bridge is unique in its type and scale: there is no comparable floating cycling structure of this magnitude anywhere in the world.
At the end of the bridge, a corten steel artwork has been installed, made from reused segments of the anchoring piles. It serves as a subtle reference to the underlying system that keeps the bridge in place. As with previous cycling projects in Limburg, this one also invites slowness, experience, and a connection with nature.