The Albi footbridge wins the Benelux Steel Bridge Award (The Netherlands)

The Albi pedestrian and cycle footbridge, designed by Ney & Partners in association with MS-A, has been awarded first prize in the “Pedestrian and Cycle Bridges” category at the Benelux Steel Bridge Awards 2025. Organised by Bouwen met Staal and Infosteel, in partnership with Rijkswaterstaat, the award recognises outstanding achievements in steel engineering across the Benelux region.

Located alongside a historic railway viaduct, the footbridge addressed a significant structural and heritage challenge. The jury highlighted the complexity of inserting a new structure in dialogue with an existing railway viaduct, noting: “The relatively restrained integration of the new deck with the historic bridge is remarkable. The idea of positioning the balconies in alignment with the arches is a masterstroke. The result is a harmonious and surprising ensemble, without ostentation.”

This distinction underscores the quality of a collective effort bringing together client, engineers, architects and contractors. It also confirms the relevance of an approach in which constructive precision, contextual dialogue and formal restraint combine to produce a work that is both technically rigorous and spatially sensitive.