Zoetermeer closes Mandela Bridge due to risk of collapse; Train station also closed

The municipality of Zoetermeer has closed the Nelson Mandela Bridge, an important bicycle and pedestrian bridge, over the A12 and the railroad tracks because it is no longer considered safe.

Recent investigation has shown that the construction is too heavy for support. At the moment it is not possible to say whether there is an acute risk of collapse, according to the municipality.

The large covered bridge itself is now closed to pedestrians and cyclists. Cracks had previously been discovered in the Nelson Mandela Bridge, which also connects Zoetermeer station to both sides of the city.

This may be due to errors in the calculations during the design. Due to the lack of confidence, no trains will stop at the station for the next few days. Train passengers have to use the bridge to get out of the station.

Rijkswaterstaat, which is responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads and waterways, is investigating exactly how unsafe the situation is. Alderman Marijke van der Meer says that Rijkswaterstaat may be able to indicate within a week what should be done with the bridge.

In the worst case, it can be decided that all traffic under the bridge must be stopped, according to the alderman. The fact that this has not been decided immediately, she says, has to do with the risks that arise elsewhere if traffic has to be diverted. In addition to the regular track and the A12, the RandstadRail also passes under the bridge.

The bridge is important for cyclists and pedestrians not only to get to the station but also to cross the highway. Shuttle buses will be deployed in the coming days to take pedestrians from one side of the bridge to the other and cyclists are advised to drive.

Train passengers must use Zoetermeer Oost station until the problem has been resolved. The Dutch Railways announced that buses will be deployed between Zoetermeer station and Zoetermeer Oost on Friday evening.

The Nelson Mandela Bridge was commissioned in the early 1990s. It was built partly because of the Floriade horticultural exhibition that was held in Zoetermeer in 1992. Major maintenance of the bridge is planned for 2026.