The Island Bridge is an asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge in steel and concrete located over the river IJssel in the N50 near Kampen. The bridge has a fixed and a movable part (bascule bridge). The total length of the bridge is about 412 metres, with a free main span of about 150 metres.
Hollandia took on this work as main contractor. The civil works have been performed as subcontractor of Hollandia by the combination Hegeman beton- en waterbouw with Strukton betonbouw.
The total length of the bridge (412 m) was determined by the width of the winter bed of the river IJssel. The height is extra high because as many sailing ships as possible must be able to pass the bridge unhindered. In the navigable part of the river (the summer bed), an unrestricted navigable channel with a width of 20 m is required, which is necessary for tall sailing ships of the so-called ‘Brown Fleet’.
This waterway is bridged with a hydraulically driven bascule bridge of steel, which is operated remotely. This movable bridge, which is directly connected to the main span, is constructed entirely of steel and has an orthotropic driving deck. The bridge and its accessories were manufactured entirely in Hollandia’s workshops.
The special feature of this remotely and hydraulically operated bascule bridge is the counterweight. This counterweight does not hang in a bascule cellar, but is mounted in sight.