Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug) description and photos - Netherlands: Rotterdam (Topic)

Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug) description and photos - Netherlands: Rotterdam. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Erasmusbrug.

Photo and description

The Erasmus Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Meuse River, connecting the northern and southern parts of the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

The author of the project is the Dutch architect Ben van Berkel. The bridge was opened in 1996 and was officially opened by Queen Beatrix. The bridge is 802 meters long and only about two meters thick. It is one of the thinnest bridges in the world, however, this does not in any way affect its strength or carrying capacity, because the most modern materials and alloys were used in the construction of the bridge.

A distinctive feature of the bridge is an asymmetrical white pylon with a height of 139 meters, which is why the bridge was nicknamed the Swan-Bridge. Almost immediately after the opening, the Swan Bridge became a kind of visiting card of Rotterdam. The official name of the bridge is the Erasmus Bridge in honor of the famous humanist philosopher and writer Erasmus of Rotterdam.

The construction of the bridge has another interesting feature. This is a cable-stayed suspension bridge, it has four spans, and the southern span is a drawbridge, because not all ships can pass under the bridge. It is the largest and heaviest drawbridge in Western Europe. Almost immediately after the opening, it was discovered that the bridge was swaying in a very strong wind, and it had to be additionally strengthened.

The bridge is used by car and pedestrian traffic. The bridge sits at the end of one of the city's busiest thoroughfares and connects the city center with the new Kop van Zuid and further into the Port of Rotterdam.

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Topic: Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug) description and photos - Netherlands: Rotterdam.