The Waalbrug is an arch bridge

Arch bridge

An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...

 over the Waal River in Nijmegen, Gelderland

Gelderland

Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...

, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

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The full length of the Waalbrug is 604 metres (1,981.6 ft), and the middle of the arch is about 65 metres (213.3 ft) high. The largest arch is 244.1 metres (800.9 ft) long and at the time of construction the longest arch in Europe.

Unlike many other bridges from the same period and with the same construction, like the IJsselbrug near Zwolle

Zwolle

Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...

, the Graafsebrug and the bridge near Arnhem

Arnhem

Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...

 the Waalbrug is unique because it is an arch bridge in the literal sense, in which all the forces truly work on the two pylons.

History

The bridge was opened on 16 June 1936 by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...

 in front of 200.000 people.

Until 1936 there was no permanent connection for ordinary traffic to the other side of the Waal. All traffic had to be moved by the "Zeldenrust" ferry. Train traffic had used a railway bridge since 1879.

In 1906 the "Nijmegen Vooruit" (Nijmegen Ahead) committee started planning the construction of the Waalbrug, but the First World War delayed the plans. In 1927 definitive plans had been made and construction of the bridge started October 23, 1931 after a plan of the architect G. Schoorl.

At the start of the Second World War the Dutch combat engineering units blew up the bridge to stop the German army's advance.
During the occupation the Germans restored the bridge and from 1943 it was in use for traffic again.

In 1944 the Germans planned to blow up the bridge again, but Jan van Hoof

Jan van Hoof

Jan Jozef Lambert van Hoof was a member of the Dutch resistance in World War II, where he cooperated with Allied Forces during Operation Market Garden, and was executed in action. Before and during the war, Van Hoof was a Rover Scout, and the scouting medal the Nationale Padvindersraad was named...

, a Rover Scout and member of the Dutch Resistance, managed to prevent this. On 20 September 1944, the bridge was conquered by allied forces. A plaque was added to the bridge as a reminder of van Hoof's actions.

The bridge was painted green until 1980, these days it is white.

Traffic

Nowadays there is a bus lane on the west side of the Waalbrug. During the morning and evening rush hour there is often a large traffic jam on the bridge. Like the Keizer Karelplein the bridge is one of the problem traffic thoroughfares in Nijmegen. There are plans for another traffic bridge called the Stadsbrug ('City Bridge'). For cyclists there is the Snelbinder Bridge, which is connected to the rail bridge.

Because the Waalbrug is a crucial aspect in regional traffic it has been difficult to renovate the bridge. Once there is a new bridge, which will probably be built around 2011, it will be easier to divert the traffic and close down side lanes to renovate the bridge.

In 2005 more than 50,000 vehicles used the bridge every 24 hours.

In popular culture

The Waalbrug can be found in the movie A Bridge Too Far and the computer game Medal of Honor: Frontline

Medal of Honor: Frontline

-External links:*...

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