Drammen City Bridge

The team of Degree of Freedom, Norconsult, SAAHA, Knight Architects and Asplan Viak was selected to develop the vision for Drammen's central bridge following a competitive, two-stage parallel design commission in 2018. Our elegant design was selected by the City of Drammen in response to their brief for a new crossing to transform the city into an attractive destination for visitors, businesses and residents. 

The new 280m-long City Bridge is a direct response to the local constraints. With the electrified rail tracks on the south side requiring maximum headroom, and a street-level connection at the north bank, the bridge elevation confidently rises from the Bragernes Torg. It crosses the river with a gentle, asymmetric vertical curve and slowly comes down on the Strømsø side, where it naturally ties into the station square. On the north bank, new public space is created at the water's edge.

The central element of the bridge, the main river crossing, is a pair of low lying, shallow steel arches. These arches span 85m across the river, leaping dramatically between two narrow piers located close to the river banks. This distinctive shape is designed to be emblematic for the city of Drammen. The bridge serves pedestrians, cyclists and public bus routes, and connects directly to the railway station platforms as well as between the river banks.

The design of the new City Bridge was formally approved by the client in December 2020 and officially opened in October 2025.