The Port of Rotterdam Authority has announced the successful installation of the new arch bridge spanning the Thomassentunnel and the A15 and N15 motorways, whose structure was in place by the evening of 30 May 2020.
The railway bridge forms a key link in the Theemswegtracé, a new branch of the port railway line that is over 4km in length. The Theemswegtracé is a €300 million (US$333 million) solution to the problems associated with the Calandbrug near Rozenburg, according to the Dutch authorities.
This steel vertical-lift bridge for rail and road traffic in the Port of Rotterdam area is the connecting link in the Betuwe Route to the European hinterland. For ocean shipping, the vertical-lift bridge forms the gateway to the Brittanniëhaven.
“The Theemswegtracé is in line with the Port Authority’s policy to increase the sustainability of Rotterdam’s connections with the hinterland and raise efficiency in rail, road and shipping traffic,” said Ronald Paul, COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
The first bridge along this route – spanning Rozenburgsesluis – was installed on 4 April 2020, while the first trains are expected to travel down the Theemswegtracé in late 2021.
This second bridge, of which the steel structure alone weighs 4,100tonnes, is 269m long, 13.7m wide and 28m tall, was built by Hollandia, a company based in Krimpen aan den IJssel.
