Koninginnebrug

Koninginnebrug, Bascule Bridge

The Koninginnebrug is a double-leaf bascule bridge that was built in 1929 over the Koningshaven dock. It replaced the swing bridge that previously connected Noordereiland with the left bank of the River Maas.

This new bridge was the result of a design competition held in 1924, in which the winning entry came from A.H. Rood, in collaboration with the German factories Machinefabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg and the firm Grün Bilfinger. City architects W.G. Witteveen and A. van der Steur were also involved in its construction.

On both sides of the bridge, there are masonry abutments featuring cast-iron lamp posts at the ends. On the piers stand four iconic control rooms offering unobstructed views of the water and the bridge deck. These operator cabins are equipped with steel windows set in teak wood frames, and have striking conical roofs covered in green copper.

At the time of its construction, the Koninginnebrug was the largest double bascule bridge in Europe—widely recognized for its architectural and cultural-historical significance, as well as its typological and structural value.

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