Construction started 1989 Height 139 m | Other name(s) De Zwaan (The Swan) Width 33.8-metre (111 ft) Opened 1996 Total length 802 m | |
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Carries 4 lanes, 2 tramway tracks, 2 cycle tracks, 2 sidewalks Address 3011 BN Rotterdam, Netherlands Similar Euromast, Cube house, Willemsbrug, Hotel New York, Rotterdam Centraal station | ||
Erasmus bridge erasmusbrug rotterdam
The Erasmus Bridge (Dutch: Erasmusbrug) is a combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge in the centre of Rotterdam, connecting the north and south parts of this city, second largest in the Netherlands. The bridge was named after Desiderius Erasmus a.k.a. Erasmus of Rotterdam, a prominent Christian renaissance humanist.
Contents
- Erasmus bridge erasmusbrug rotterdam
- erasmusbrug erasmus bridge rotterdam bridges creationsplay art
- History
- Use in events
- References
erasmusbrug erasmus bridge rotterdam bridges creationsplay art
History
The 802-metre-long (2,631 ft) bridge across the New Meuse was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The cable-stayed bridge section has a single 139-metre-high (456 ft) asymmetrical pale blue pylon with a prominent horizontal base, earning the bridge its nickname "The Swan".
The southernmost span of the bridge has an 89-metre-long (292 ft) bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in Western Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world.
After costing more than 165 million Euros to construct, the bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix on September 6, 1996. Shortly after the bridge opened to traffic in October 1996, it was discovered the bridge would swing under particularly strong wind conditions. To reduce the trembling, stronger shock dampers were installed.
Use in events
The bridge featured in the 1998 Jackie Chan film Who Am I?. In 2005, several planes flew underneath the bridge as part of the "Red Bull Air Race". The bridge is also part of The World Port Days in Rotterdam.
In 2005, the bridge served as the backdrop for a performance by DJ Tiësto titled "Tiësto @ The Bridge, Rotterdam". The performance featured fire-fighting ships spraying jets of water into the air in front of the bridge, a fireworks barge launching fireworks beside the bridge, and multi colored spot/search lights attached to the bridge itself.
The bridge was crossed during the prologue and the opening stage of the 2010 Tour de France.