Verbindingsbrug in the port of Zeebrugge

This new bridge over the Connecting Dock (known as the Verbindingsbrug (Connecting Bridge)) will provide an additional North-South connection for both road traffic and slow-moving traffic in the port of Zeebrugge. It connects the Jozef Verschaveweg with the extended Koffieweg. It is also the largest movable bridge in Europe. The bridge will be officially opened at the end of April.

The Artes Group – Victor Buyck – Agidens consortium, with engineering firms Stendess and SBE as subcontractors, was appointed by MBZ (Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeehaven) to build the new bridge over the connecting dock. The bridge had to be suitable for extremely heavy traffic (even a 500-ton port crane!), heavy and frequent port traffic and also slow road users. It also had to remain operational in very severe weather conditions (up to 10 beaufort).

The new bridge is 400 meters long in total and has two lanes of 4.50 meters each and a separated footpath and cycle path with dual carriageways. The bridge consists of 2 fixed approach bridges in concrete and 1 steel swing bridge of 130 meters. The steel bridge deck consists of heavy welded main beams, coupled with sectional girders and an orthotropic road surface. The passage width of this bridge is 55 meters.

SBE was responsible for the design and studies of the approach bridges, the foundations of both the fixed and the movable sections, the abutment, the quay wall and the brake work.