New bridge over the Ter river and new greenway between Bescanó and Sant Gregori

The municipalities of Bescanó and Sant Gregori are promoting a permanent and secure crossing for pedestrians and cyclists to traverse the Ter river, enhancing access to the river and supporting a new cycling infrastructure in the natural environment of the lower Ter riverbanks.

Historically, there has never been a permanent public access point over the river between these two towns. A cable raft was previously in operation, followed by a boat service that transported residents across, but this was discontinued in 1974.

In 2010, the company Àrids Sant Gregori constructed a temporary ford to facilitate their extraction activities on the left bank of the Ter, leading many pedestrians and cyclists to use this private infrastructure for crossing since then. This temporary infrastructure was designed to avoid creating rigid obstacles to the river’s floodwaters, to prevent similar effects as those caused by a weir. However, various floods have damaged the structure, necessitating repeated reconstruction by the company.

The proposal for a new permanent crossing for pedestrians and cyclists began in 2013 with the drafting of a preliminary project that assessed different alternatives for the new infrastructure’s location, considering hydraulic, environmental, and socioeconomic criteria. After reaching a consensus with the relevant administrations, the selected site for the new footbridge was located next to the Batllori farms in Bescanó.

A Solution to Improve Connectivity and Mobility

The new footbridge will feature a widely-used structural solution for greenways and bike paths, utilizing lattice steel structures, specifically two lattice beams connected by tubular profiles. The footbridge will be 135 meters long and a minimum of 1.80 meters wide, supported by reinforced concrete pillars with ramps providing access from both banks. The platform will be elevated 6.70 meters above the riverbed to ensure it does not obstruct river flooding.

Furthermore, to ensure connectivity between the two urban centers, the new greenway will continue along the left bank of the Ter River and the right bank of the Llémena stream after crossing the Ter, utilizing existing pathways until it reaches the Argelaguet road, crossing the Ter via the Pineda bridge, and extending to the center of Sant Gregori.

For the crossing over the Llémena, as there is currently insufficient safe space on the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, an expansion of the platform is planned with the construction of a second structure in the form of a 45-meter cantilever, linked to the existing road bridge.

This initiative has benefited from funding through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the construction of cycling paths in Catalonia, facilitated by the Girona Greenways Consortium.

Success Stories Related to the Greenway Between Bescanó and Sant Gregori

Through this civil engineering solution, ABM contributes to weaving a network of soft connections across the territory, promoting the use of sustainable transport and fostering health while bringing nature closer to the community. Another project in line with this initiative is the new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the C-63 road in Santa Coloma de Farners.

By implementing engineering interventions of this type, we ensure that travel within the territory is safe and sustainable. Since our inception, we have developed projects comprising over 160 kilometers of new bike lanes throughout Catalonia.