Single-Leaf Bascule Bridge Spans Waterway for Golf Cart Crossing

Retractable bascule bridge brings functionality and beauty to resort.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Golf Course at Grand Cayman Islands wanted a retractable bridge that would allow water craft to pass through and golf carts to pass over. Keeping with the aesthetic beauty of the property they required a solution that would be eye-catching and not an industrial looking structure.

The design team at Autoquip created a single-leaf bascule bridge with custom modifications and stylizing to fit the customer’s beautification requirements.  The bridge size is 10’ wide x 38’ long and will travel up to 86 degrees to let water vessels pass through.  Due to the sea-air climate of the Grand Caymans, the bridge railings are constructed out of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) and supplied to us through our partnership with Strongwell, leading pultruder of FRP.

Keeping with the property design, the bridge is painted beige with attractive picket style handrails along each side. Black fiberglass grating aligns the bridge surface with aggressive non-slip grit and non-marking in case of foot or golf cart traffic.

Additional features:

• 5,000 lb. capacity traffic allowed.
• Traffic barrier bars for safety at each end.
• Flashing lights and audible signals at each end.
• Pushbutton operation stanchions on each end with programmable keypads.
• All hoses and fittings, cylinders, pins, clevis, power unit and main control station are stainless steel to keep from rusting in salt air.

The retractable capabilities of the bridge will give boats the ability to pass through waterway.  Some boat captains will have the ability to operate the bridge via remote control.  Other boat operators will have to manually operate the bridge by docking their boat first and using the pushbutton stanchions on each side.

Operation sequence to raise bridge:

• “Up” Button Pushed
• Audible Single Sounds, Red Light Flashes, Green Light On
• 30 Seconds later barrier bars lower.
• 5 seconds after that, bridge begins raising.

AQ# 146578 Single Leaf Bascule Bridge

Autoquip is very capable in lifting technology and to receive the request to design the aesthetic part of this project was exciting. Our job is to build a lifting solution that is safe, robust and functional. To achieve both the design aesthetics and retractable function of the bridge was a great achievement that the customer is happy with and we are proud to deliver.