(Li) Last Friday saw the opening of a road bypassing the tourist destination Klosters and also the official inauguration of the prize-winning Sunniberg Bridge in Prättigau from ETH emeritus professor Christian Menn. The 528-metre long and 60-metre high curved multispan cable stayed bridge with an inclined road surface was built within a period of 30 months from 1996 to 1998. Until today it served as access to the building site of the 4,207 metre long Götschna tunnel, which is part of the newly opened 6,547 metre long road circumventing Klosters. Of the 12,300 vehicles a day predicted for 2007, 78 per cent will no longer have to wind their way through Klosters' narrow streets on their way to Davos, but will be able to use the elegant new curved multispan cable stayed bridge to bypass Klosters completely.

The Sunniberg bridge, designed and planned by Christian Menn, has already achieved the status of a landmark in Klosters and the entire Prättigau region. In 2001 Menn received the "Outstanding Structure Award" from the International Association of Bridge Builders for this work. Klosters' most prominent guest, Prince Charles, accompanied by Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger and the government of the Grisons officially opened the new bypass road and therewith Menn's bridge.

Now officially open: the Sunniberg bridge from ETH emeritus professor Christian Menn. (Photo: www.christian-menn.ch)