Floodable Ford over the Canalda River

Along its course through the Rasa d’Encies gully, the Canalda River descends through a narrow valley of great ecological value. In the 1960s a flood swept away the bridge that enabled communication with the houses of the municipality of Junyent. However, this was not enough to stop the local people from crossing the river, as the alternative mountain road was too long. The need for the passage of articulated forestry vehicles, which tend to have a wide turning radius, combined with the narrow terrain of the valley and the limited budget of a small municipality of less than 200 inhabitants, made it difficult to build a conventional and environmentally respectful bridge. The town council contemplated the proposal for the construction of a floodable ford that could be used regularly, except in the case of exceptional floods.

This proposal is based on the turning radius marked by vehicles on the riverbed, which at the same time generates a convex geometry that does not conflict with the passage of water and provides the infrastructure with greater stability. With a width of 4.80 m wide and a length of 8.50 m, the ford takes the form of a thin slab that sits above the river, without obstructing the passage of water. The deactivated concrete finish visually blends the ford in with the round stones of the riverbed and the immediate surroundings, consisting of large conglomerate blocks. At the same time, the slab is bordered by a sheet of weathering steel that visually interacts with the changing environment of the forest, which is made up of deciduous and perennial trees.