Submersible bridge and recreation route Westenholte Zwolle, NL

Submersible bridge and wetland recreation route

The Westenholte bridge is situated in the floodplain of the river IJssel near the city of Zwolle. The bridge connects the cycling and walking routes from the dike to the recreation routes through the wetland nature, promoting sustainable transportation and eco-tourism.  This project was part of a larger nation wide project “Room for the River’ ensuring future safety against flooding. The 120 meter long bridge forms a connection for mixed traffic -cars, cyclists and pedestrians- across a newly formed secondary waterway. We designed the submersible bridge that fits well in the natural surroundings, is practically maintenance free and that has special design features to ensure safety of the construction when the bridge deck gets flooded (approx. 1 to 5 days per year).