Major maintenance completed: Diemer Bridge widened and protected

Major maintenance on the Diemer Bridge has been completed. Commissioned by the municipality of Diemen, the lifespan has been extended, functionality improved and the bridge deck widened for a better bicycle connection. Now that maintenance on the Diemer Bridge is complete, similar work can begin on the Venser Bridge.

The Diemer Bridge is a remote controlled drawbridge over the Weespertrekvaart and connects Diemen Centrum with the residential area of Diemen-Zuid. After a last maintenance job in 2002, the bridge has been fitted with all the conveniences to ensure that it will last for another time. The bridge sections now have a new protective coating and the barrier boxes and cameras have been renewed. In addition, the bridge deck has been widened by half a meter on both sides so that cyclists have more room here.

Military planning

To widen the bridge deck, many modifications were made to the steel structure. A complicated operation, says Roald van der Slikke, project manager at civil engineering construction company Griekspoor: "We renovated everything ourselves. When making adjustments to the steelwork, certain parts were dismantled, conserved and put back in a different place. Meticulous, almost military, planning was necessary to make sure everything was back in the right place on time.'

In addition to dismantling and replacing the steelwork, we looked closely at whether the Diemer Bridge could handle such a reconstruction at all. 'We redid all the balance calculations,' Van der Slikke adds.

Record pace

In cooperation with engineering firm Westenberg and the municipality of Diemen, the major maintenance of the Diemer Bridge was completed within nine weeks. A record pace, according to the project manager: 'This collaboration was key to the success of the project. All noses were on the same page from the beginning, which allowed us to get the bridge ready for operation again within nine weeks.'

The same pace is being applied to the refurbishment of the Diemen Venserbrug, which will close for maintenance from Feb. 17 to March 28. During that period, traffic will detour via the renovated and widened Diemer Bridge.