The bridge already made the statement.
The Passerelle A9 in Sion, Switzerland crosses an active freeway and connects the city’s hospital center to surrounding neighborhoods. It was designed to feel light — open concrete, fluid curves, the Alps behind it. Then came the engineering reality: a compliant fall protection system was required above the bridge parapet. That’s the moment when a lot of projects go sideways. The safety system comes in, and suddenly the whole aesthetic purpose of the structure is fighting against code compliance. Not this time.
Image Courtesy of: Jakob Rope Systems
What We Built
Jakob Rope Systems designed and installed a vertically tensioned Webnet system across the full length of the bridge — 697 m² of stainless steel mesh, prefabricated to fit the structure, then installed in coordination with the metal construction team on-site.
The specs that made the difference:
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Rope diameter: 2 mm (Webnet, no sleeves)
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Mesh size: 40 mm, horizontal orientation
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Segments up to 50 m per mesh element
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Surround rope: 8 mm, 6×7 + WC construction
The result: a fully compliant fall protection system above an active freeway that registers as nearly transparent at viewing distance — engineered for wind and live loads, but visually, it almost disappears.
Image Courtesy of: Jakob Rope Systems
Why This Matters for Your Projects
If you’re specifying safety systems for elevated structures — bridges, overpasses, elevated walkways — standard guard rail and panel systems often create a visual problem while solving an engineering one. Webnet offers an alternative path: filigree construction that meets normative fall protection requirements without closing off the structure. We handle planning, dimensioning, and installation as a single-source package, which reduces coordination complexity for project teams. The Sion project ran 2021–2023 with dvarchitectes & associés as the planning firm and Margelisch Chabbey & Cie handling metal construction. Jakob managed the mesh scope from concept through installation.
Image Courtesy of: Jakob Rope Systems
About Jakob USA: Part of the global Jakob Rope Systems network, Jakob USA has engineered and supplied stainless steel cable systems for architectural, safety, and green building applications across North America for over 50 years. Our Webnet transparent barrier systems—installed through our network of expert partners—protect visitors in the most demanding environments while preserving the views that make these destinations worth visiting.
