Rotterdam area faces major traffic chaos as key bridge closes for nine months
Hundreds of kilometers of new asphalt will be laid across the Netherlands this summer as many roads, viaducts, and bridges reach the end of their lifespan. The heaviest impact is hitting the Rotterdam region, where the Papendrechtsebrug between Dordrecht and Papendrecht is closed for nine months to cars, cyclists, and shipping. At the same time, the Merwedebrug on the A27 near Gorinchem is closed to freight traffic.
Rijkswaterstaat adjusted the Papendrechtsebrug plans so large vessels can pass once a month. Work pontoons must be removed for those passages. The agency calls the lengthy closure exceptional.
The situation comes after similar widespread disruptions last year around Amsterdam.
Extra ferries are running to carry people across the water at Papendrecht. On the first workday, crowds at the pontoon forced some cyclists and scooter riders to wait for the next boat. A local bicycle shop is offering discounts on electric bikes and speed pedelecs.
Rijkswaterstaat is collaborating with Google and Apple to display the roadworks in navigation apps. Officials advise commuters to work from home and travel outside rush hours.
Diana Wonnink, Rijkswaterstaat’s omgevingsmanager, said safety is the priority but voiced frustration over the added complications from the Merwedebrug closure.
“Safety comes first but I’m annoyed by it,” Wonnink said. “Those trucks are now heading toward Zaltbommel and can only cross the bridge on the A2.”
She had expected 45 to 60 minutes of extra travel time. The additional closure has made the total impact unclear.
“We are going to monitor it now because we had not taken this scenario into account,” Wonnink said. “But it will be tough.”
Transport companies face sharply higher costs. Henk Swijnenburg of Swijnenburg Transport in Werkendam said detours will add about 60 kilometers per day. Combined with higher fuel prices and the kilometer tax, the extra expense could reach 10,000 euros per week.
“It could easily cost us ten thousand euros per week extra,” Swijnenburg said.
Some commuters are trying the ferries for the first time. One rider said he would only know at the end of the day whether the trip took more time. Another noted that detouring via Zwijndrecht adds at least 25 minutes.
A few road users expressed concern that the Papendrechtsebrug work could exceed the planned nine months.
Rijkswaterstaat said the maintenance is necessary. The agency hopes to upgrade detour routes before major work begins next year on the Van Brienenoordbrug. That bridge over the Nieuwe Maas carries the A16 and handles more than 230,000 vehicles daily, making it the busiest in the Netherlands. Construction on it is scheduled to run until 2033.
