Overview
- Prolonged high temperatures have caused steel expansion that made several movable bridge decks stick or fail, forcing temporary closures and restricted operation.
- Rijkswaterstaat has deployed contractors, extra technicians and targeted cooling measures such as water spraying and a fireboat to bring decks back to size and keep bridges operating.
- The Aduard bridge remains closed to both road traffic and shipping because its steel cables and bearing supports need immediate replacement and cannot be delayed.
- Some bridges are being kept closed during daytime and openings are limited to mornings in places like Amersfoort to protect road traffic and reduce the chance of repeat failures.
- Officials say effects on commercial shipping are limited mainly to high recreational craft, but they warn that simultaneous failures of nearby bridges would create large road detours and so crews are on standby.