The municipality of Zoetermeer has closed a major cycle and pedestrian bridge, inter alia, on the A12 and the railway. According to the municipality, the Nelson Mandela Bridge is unsafe. Recent research has shown that the structure is too heavy to support, but it is unclear whether there is a serious danger of collapse.
The large covered bridge is closed to pedestrians and cyclists. Previously, cracks were discovered in the bridge. This may be due to errors in the calculations during the design.
The bridge connects NS Zoetermeer station with both sides of the city. Due to the dangerous bridge, no trains will stop at the station for the next few days. Train passengers must use the bridge to exit the station.
Councilor Marijke van der Meer says Rijkswaterstaat will indicate within a week what should be done with the bridge.
Traffic under the bridge has not yet been stopped. According to Van der Meer, this has to do with the risks that arise in other places if traffic has to be diverted. In addition to the normal track and the A12, the RandstadRail also runs under the bridge.
The bridge is important for cyclists and pedestrians to reach the station. But also to cross the highway. In the coming days, shuttle buses will be used to take pedestrians from one side of the bridge to the other. Cyclists are advised to drive.
Train passengers must temporarily use the Zoetermeer Oost station. Dutch Railways announced that buses were being deployed between Zoetermeer station and Zoetermeer East on Friday evening.
The Nelson Mandela Bridge was commissioned in the early 1990s. It was built partly due to the Floriade horticultural exhibition which was held in Zoetermeer in 1992. Major maintenance work on the bridge is planned for 2026.
