Calandbrug - Europoort RT, NL
Posted by: 
Theodd1
N 51° 54.107 E 004° 13.484
31U E 584260 N 5750822
The Calandbrug is a steel lift bridge over the Calandkanaal in the Europoort industrial area. Locally it's a well-known and heavily used bridge, famous for its four characteristic pylons and striking concrete windbreaks on the canal banks.
Waymark Code: WM128CQ
Location: Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Date Posted: 03/28/2020
Views: 10
The Calandbrug is a steel lift bridge, designed as a truss bridge. The total length of the bridge is 343 meters, of which the lift bridge is a total of 70 meters long. The western bridge is 188 meters long and the eastern bridge is 86 meters long. The clearance is 46 meters through the lifting section. The vertical clearance is 11.7 meters when closed and the lifting section can allow a clearance of up to 38 meters high. A road with 2x2 lanes runs over the Calandbrug, a railway line on the north side that is split by the half-timbered construction and a span for slow traffic on the south side.
The bridge opens to shipping approximately 8 times a day. An average bridge opening takes 13 minutes. 3,500 ships pass under the bridge every year. The bridge is managed by Prorail and the road surface and road furniture are managed by Rijkswaterstaat. The bridge is operated remotely from the traffic control center in Rhoon. 70% of the train traffic on the Havenspoorlijn passes over the Calandbrug.
The Calandbrug was built on dry land in the late 1960s, which gave the bridge a remarkable appearance during construction, namely a huge lift bridge in the middle of the meadows. On June 6, 1969, the bridge opened to traffic, and the N15 ran over it. The Calandkanaal was dug at the same time. After opening, the Calandbrug was not the only connection from Rotterdam to the western part of the Europoort, traffic could also cross the Calandkanaal at the locks via the Neckarweg, about one kilometer south of the Calandbrug. In the 1990s the track across the bridge doubled.
Behind the Calandbrug lies the Brittanniëhaven, where 250 car ships arrive every year. These ships are high on the water. To make a bridge passage also possible above wind force 5, a windshield has been built at the Calandbrug along the south side of the canal, 1750 meters long and 25 meters high, after a design by municipal architect Maarten Struijs in collaboration with landscape artist Frans de Wit. Construction started in 1983 and was completed in 1985.
At the Calandbrug, shipping traffic has priority over road and rail traffic, because the companies in the Brittanniëhaven are established there by convention "as if they were on the open sea".
With the increase in both road traffic and shipping, the bridge openings became problematic. It was therefore decided to construct the Thomassentunnel for through traffic. The Thomassentunnel was opened in 2004, as a result of which the ongoing function of the Calandbrug was canceled. Since then, the Calandbrug has been important for local traffic and for the transport of dangerous goods that cannot pass through the Thomassentunnel. The Calandbrug is used as a diversion route for incidents and activities in the Thomassentunnel. Until December 1, 2008, the bridge was operated on site by a bridgemaster.
Each day, approximately 12,500 vehicles and 58 freight trains are crossing the Calandbrug.
Sources: Wikipedia, Wegenwiki.
Visit Instructions:
1) After you've found a vertical lift bridge, go visit it, get the coordinates, a picture or two of it, and if it is in use or not still as a lift bridge.
Then log it and post your pictures! At least one of the photos must be of you and your GPS there with the bridge in the background. (No old vacation shots or photos off the internet!)
2) Include the coordinates, city/county/state/country and the name of the bridge (if it has one).
3) Include any interesting information about the structure