News
Bergwijk bridge officially inaugurated
The major infrastructure works for the construction of the new Bergwijk bridge over the Ringvaart in Merelbeke are finished. On Tuesday, December 21, the new bridge was officially inaugurated and traffic was able to drive over it for the first time. The new bridge offers a total solution for a time-honoured mobility problem and is a win-win for all users.
Together with Franki Construct, Herbosch-Kiere started work on this new 3 lane cantilevered bridge and cycle path in the summer of 2020. In order to limit the disruption, the new bridge was built next to the old bridge and when the demolition of the old bridge was completed in January, the new bridge was moved to its final location (35 meters along) in July.
Krista Maes, operational director of De Vlaamse Waterweg nv, points out the importance of the new bridge for shipping: “The new Bergwijk bridge is a lot higher than its predecessor. Together with the construction of the bridge, the banks of the Ringvaart were also renewed. Both schemes mean that the Ringvaart is now accessible to modern ships with three container levels. These additional assets make the waterway an even more attractive alternative to road transport for companies. Very aware of the current mobility environment, we as Flemish waterway managers can of course only applaud that.”
Facts and Figures
- Length bridge: 101.20 meter
- Height superstructure: 5.50 meters
- Width bridge: 19.50 meter
- Weight superstructure : 3,300 ton
- Passage width bridge: 45 meter
- Total cost: approximately 12 million euros
For the construction of the new bridge, the project partners could count on an important contribution from Europe; from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), a programme for bicycle investments and from the CEF fund Seine-Scheldt for the adaptation of the Ringvaart.