On Friday 22 July 2016 the panoramic lift linking Pfaffenthal and the upper town was officially opened in the presence of the Collège des bourgmestre et échevins de la Ville de Luxembourg (College of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Luxembourg) and the Ministre du Développement durable et des Infrastructures (Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure).
To facilitate inter-district exchanges between Pfaffenthal and the city of Luxembourg, the conseil communal de la Ville de Luxembourg (common city council of the city of Luxembourg) approved the idea to build a vertical lift bridge between Pfaffenthal and the upper town in December 2009.
The lift service finalized this month, July 2016, will now extend the concept of sustainable mobility to all low areas of the city and to improve moving quickly between the suburbs and the upper town, while allowing people to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Alzette valley.
In Pfaffenthal, the elevator is located in the extension of rue du Pont. A development of a square slope of less than 6% ensures accessibility to the disabled. Moreover, a soil treatment is there to guide the visually impaired. To give more comfort to passengers waiting, a glass and steel shelter covering a bench is built at the foot of the lift.
The pavilion at the foot of the lift bridge has two public toilets, a pre-wired emergency pack, an electrical room and a space monitoring and various storage.
A 75 meters long bridge at Pescatore connects the park to the lift. Access to the park side (Pescatore) of the bridge is marked by a reinforced concrete monolith of the same color as the tower. It is recessed to the gateway and a portal closes public access if needed. At the access point of the elevator in the park, connection with the paths of the park was completed, providing easy access to downtown areas located nearby. There has also been made connection with the bridge to existing bike paths, so that cyclists can easily access the lift or other areas such as Gare, Limpertsberg and Belair.
The cabin of the lift is semi-panoramic: the doors is opaque and the cantilever beyond the guides is glazed from floor to ceiling to allow users to make the most of the views and landscapes.
The lift is equipped with special equipment to withstand the weather and ensure maximum operating safety.
During the project, the Ville de Luxembourg has taken into account the different comfort parameters: a limited waiting time, the available space per person and limited duration of the course.
To further maximize user comfort, including cyclists, a cabin with two doors was chosen. This ensures effective management of inputs and outputs streaming.
A multimedia screen installed in the cabin displays the dynamic values of the lift, such as the cabin height, direction of travel, the date and time. The cabin even provides a connection to the wireless internet via the Hotcity Wifi system.
The elevator Ville de Luxembourg has made sure that the lift follows the security regulations and standards. It also has a weather station continuously monitoring all para-meters (wind, storm, ice formation) to put the unit off immediately if one of the thresholds is reached.
To ensure the safety of people, surveillance cameras have been placed at Pfaffenthal stop and on the bridge leading to the Pescatore park. There is a telephone voice link with a guard post installed.
The initial budget for the development of the lift bridge was €7,573,950. In the end, it cost an additional €2,959,564.
Photo by Josefine Emilie Andersen
Photos by Josefine Emilie Andersen
