Construction mistake on dozen of Dutch viaducts could cause major traffic issues
A construction error in dozens of viaducts and bridges across the Netherlands could cause major traffic disruptions in the future. Due to the error, the structures are wearing out faster than expected, which may result in closing them to heavy traffic, reducing the speed limit on the viaducts, or needing to install support structures, Minister Barry Madlener informed parliament, NOS reports.
According to Madlener, the Rijkswaterstaat has identified about 100 bridges and viaducts that may be an issue. That excludes structures managed by the provinces. A complicating factor is that regular inspections cannot identify this issue, so the Rijkswaterstaat has been conducting additional inspections since 2022. The situation is not equally serious for all the involved structures. That depends on things like when it was built, the design, and how well it is maintained.
The Rijkswaterstaat placed 17 structures in six locations on the priority list for urgent intervention - the Prins Clausplein near The Hague, the Velperbroek interchange, two bridges over Naardertrekvaart, and the viaducts Kamperhoekweg on the A16, Tielsestraat on the A15, and De Tol on the A1.
All the involved bridges and viaducts were made with a tooth-ridge construction, which has turned out to be vulnerable to water with road salt. The water is able to reach the reinforcement in the concrete, making it rust more quickly than expected.
According to Madlener, it is not yet clear how long repairs will take, how expensive they will be, or how much inconvenience they will cause.
The Rijkswaterstaat told the Telegraaf that the road sections mentioned are safe and are being monitored closely.
