Prince Claus Bridge

The Prince Claus Bridge was built to connect the centre of Dordrecht with the new Stadswerven district. The Prince Claus Bridge is a movable bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. The new bridge also forms part of the future fast cycle route between the historic centre of Dordrecht and Merwelanden, Papendrecht and Sliedrecht. Iv provided an integral final and implementation design for the Prince Claus Bridge project, which is characterised by a unique operating mechanism and a striking appearance. The work involved the technical development of the architectural concept into a practical and feasible design, where high precision and innovation were paramount. The Prince Claus Bridge is an architectural eye-catcher that has won awards for its appearance and technical complexity.

The main challenge of the Prince Claus Bridge project was to realise the innovative design, including the unique operating mechanism with a hinged counterweight pylon and pendulum to balance the bridge during operation. In particular, the angled joint, the technical adaptations in the operating section and the high aesthetic requirements placed high demands on the structural design, which cleverly hides the pivot points, a testament to the complexity and uniqueness of the mechanism.

The Prince Claus Bridge provides the Stadswerven district with a quick connection to the centre of Dordrecht, blends seamlessly into the environment with its slender design and allows cyclists and pedestrians to admire the unique mechanism. The bridge was awarded the National Steel Prize 2022 in the ‘Infrastructure’ category and received a Special Award in the BENELUX Steel Bridge Contest 2023, underlining this project’s impact on the local community and the engineering world.