Rijkswaterstaat has commissioned Combinatie Mobilis and Croonwolter&dros to renovate the Papendrecht Bridge. The contract covers the design and execution of the renovation of the bridge’s movable section, which is due for renewal to ensure the bridge remains safe and available for both road and waterway traffic in the future. Hollandia Infra and Machinefabriek Rusthoven will construct the new steel bascule deck including the operating mechanisms. The project has been awarded under the so-called portfolio approach. The same contractor consortium previously renovated the movable section of the Haringvliet Bridge. The contract value amounts to €86.7 million excluding VAT.
Project scope
The Papendrecht Bridge lies on the N3 over the Beneden-Merwede. It connects Dordrecht with Papendrecht and links the A16 with the A15. The bridge, approximately one kilometre long, entered service in 1967 and consists of a fixed section with a 30-metre movable bascule span and a bascule pit. During the renovation, the bascule span, the drive and operating systems, and all technical installations will be replaced.
To accommodate the equipment required for the operation, control and monitoring of the bridge, an additional technical space will be mounted onto the bascule pit. Within the pit, concrete works will be renewed, while outside, the piers supporting the bridge deck will be reinforced. The control house on the bridge will be removed as part of the works.
Portfolio approach
Rijkswaterstaat is working with the market towards a vital infrastructure sector: one that is sustainable and innovative, financially sound, and in which the inherent risks of infrastructure projects are well managed. A key innovation is the use of contractual portfolios. Instead of working from project to project, several projects are bundled into a single contract. This provides continuity and predictability, while also allowing lessons learned to be applied across projects. For example, insights gained from the Haringvliet Bridge have been incorporated into the design improvements for the Papendrecht Bridge.
Renovation to start in 2026
Renovation of the Papendrecht Bridge will begin in 2026 and is expected to last more than a year. During the works, the bascule span will be inoperable and the waterway will be closed to tall shipping. For all road traffic, the bridge will be closed in the summer and autumn of 2026. The exact planning is still being determined. Together with stakeholders, local authorities, Zuid-Holland Bereikbaar and the contractor consortium, Rijkswaterstaat is developing measures to minimise disruption to road and waterway users during the renovation.
Stronger through collaboration
For the execution of the works, Combinatie Mobilis and Croonwolter&dros are deploying, as far as possible, the same partners involved in the Haringvliet Bridge project. Hollandia Infra and Machinefabriek Rusthoven are responsible for the steel bascule deck and operating mechanisms. Soltegro is contributing its expertise in system integration and Model-Based Systems Engineering. Struijk Sloopwerken is involved in the safe removal of the bascule pit roof and various demolition works within the pit, while the specialists of Mobilis bring their skills in concrete renovation, and Croonwolter&dros contributes its expertise in the renovation of technical systems.
Major maintenance in the Drechtsteden
In the coming years, Rijkswaterstaat will replace or renovate a large number of ageing bridges and tunnels in the Drechtsteden region, while also carrying out major maintenance on various roads. Between 2025 and 2031, renovation work will take place on the Brug over de Noord (N915), the Papendrecht Bridge (N3), the Drechttunnel (A16), the Noordtunnel (A15) and the Dordrecht Traffic Bridge. To minimise disruption to road and waterway traffic, the renovations will be carried out sequentially. However, users should expect several long-term closures over the coming years.
More information
- For more information about the renovation, visit rijkswaterstaat.nl: N3: renovation of the movable section of the Papendrecht Bridge.
- Further details about Rijkswaterstaat’s major maintenance programme in Zuid-Holland can be found on the project page Working together for an accessible South Holland.