We’ve all seen bridges. All kinds of bridges. Suspension bridges, covered bridges, box girder bridges, and those fancy new cable-stayed bridges. For the most part, bridges are for helping cars and trucks travel over water. But have you ever seen a bridge that allows boats to travel over a road?
Well, at least one such bridge exists, and it’s in Harderwijk, Netherlands, a small city about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Amsterdam. Called the Veluwemeer Aqueduct, this structure consists of a 25-meter (82 feet) long, 19 meter wide, navigable passage located over the N302 road. The aqueduct was built between 1998 and 2002 to allow boats to pass over the road without having to stop traffic, activate a drawbridge, and inconvenience everyone while they wait for the bridge to rise and then fall.
The water depth along the aqueduct is about 3 meters (9.8 feet), which allows smaller vessels to pass over the road safely, so long as their draft is less. The aqueduct is controlled by a series of gates that allow the water level to be adjusted. This is necessary to make sure that the water level in the aqueduct is always equal to the water level in the lake.
OK, but why? Why a water bridge that goes over the road rather than a road bridge that goes over the water? Well, a car bridge would have required a much higher clearance, which would have taken up more space and been more expensive to build. A water bridge is also better for water management: the aqueduct helps regulate the water levels in the Veluwemeer lake, which is important for the environment and for recreation.
Plus, the water bridge is more environmentally friendly than a car bridge, which would have required more concrete and steel and thus had a more negative impact on the environment. What’s more, the water bridge is more adaptable to future changes in traffic or water levels. A car bridge would be much more difficult to change.
Also, it’s just really frickin’ cool, isn’t it? A major part of the reason that the locals decided on the water bridge was that it would be a more unusual and visually appealing option that might bring more visitors to the area. And in fact the aqueduct has become a popular tourist attraction.
The Veluwemeer Aqueduct is easy to get to if you are on a vacation to the Netherlands. In case you’d like to make a day of it, the city of Harderwijk has a historic center, a zoo, and a number of cool museums. Plus there’s the attraction of the lake itself. The Veluwemeer is a popular spot for swimming, boating, and fishing.
Have you ever been to the Veluwemeer Aqueduct? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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