Erasmusbrug
Erasmus Bridge (Dutch: Erasmusbrug) is a cable-stayed bridge across the Nieuwe Maas, linking the northern and southern regions of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Erasmus Bridge was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The 802-metre-long (2,631 ft) bridge has a 139-metre-high (456 ft) asymmetrical pylon, earning the bridge its nickname of "The Swan".
The southern span of the bridge has an 89-metre-long (292 ft) bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in West Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world.
After costing more than 163 million euros to construct, the bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix on September 6, 1996.[1] Shortly after the bridge opened to traffic in October 1996, it was discovered the bridge would swing under particularly strong wind conditions. To reduce the trembling, stronger shock dampers were installed.
Use in events
The bridge featured in the 1998 Jackie Chan film Who Am I?. In 2005, several planes flew underneath the bridge as part of the "Red Bull Air Race".
In 2005, the bridge served as the backdrop for a performance by DJ Tiësto titled "Tiësto @ The Bridge, Rotterdam". The performance featured fire-fighting ships spraying jets of water into the air in front of the bridge, a fireworks barge launching fireworks beside the bridge, and multi coloured spot/search lights attached to the bridge itself.
The bridge was crossed during the prologue and the opening stage of the 2010 Tour de France.
References
- ^ M de Jong, J Annema (2010). "The Erasmus Bridge; success factors according to those involved in the project". European Transport Conference. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
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