Background information:
Traverser bridges are primarily made and used for the (sideways) movement of rail vehicles, but if they are there, they are sometimes also used for the (sideways) movement of road vehicles. This only requires one important adjustment. Namely the addition of road plates on the Traverser bridge deck, so that, similar to tram rails in a road surface, both types of vehicles can stand on the Traverser bridge. The ramps make the Traverser bridge more widely applicable and we see this addition being used in various situations. Both the old and the new Traverser bridge of RET maintenance company Rotterdam Kleiweg are equipped with it. The latter to allow buses, in addition to trams and metros, to enter the workshop. But the last remaining and functioning Traverser bridge of Werkplaats Tilburg also had ramps so that, for example, road vehicles pulling railway equipment could be taken onto the Traverser bridge, or (heavy) transport trailers with parts could be maneuvered deep into the building ensemble.
There are plenty of examples in that regard.
Architectural details:
In the past, ramps in Traverser bridges were made fairly simply and smoothly from wooden beams. Vehicles did not weigh as much as they do today and wood was a widely used material that was easy to shape into the right shapes with hand tools. A small disadvantage was the regular maintenance that was required, but at a time when materials cost more than hours, this did not matter much. Nowadays people more often opt for a metal form of road plates, as they require less maintenance. The metal variants can also be immediately welded to the Traverser bridge itself and metal variants can handle heavier road vehicles.
Markenburg offers both options ("wood" and "metal") for all types of Traverser bridge offered by Markenburg. Various parts are also supplied to determine the exact height in small steps. Because the top of the road plates is best positioned just below the top of the rail. But given the many types of rails that can be used, what exactly is needed will differ per situation.
