Brug

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Introduction

The TRAFFIC BRIDGE with underlying WEIR AND LOCK COMPLEX over the Maas near Grave dates from 1926-1929 and was constructed according to a design by ir. C.F. Egelie, engineer of Rijkswaterstaat. With the construction of the bridge and the replacement of the Graafse wire ferry, the aim was to accelerate traffic flow on the connection between Bergen op Zoom and Nijmegen, laid out between 1819 and 1840. Furthermore, in the context of normalization works on the Maas near Grave, a lock-weir complex was constructed. Bridge, lock and weir were combined; the same substructure was used for the Maas bed. Moreover, the weir was 'suspended' from the bridge.

The pillars of the weir bridges were supplied by N.V. Internationale Gewapend Beton Bouw in Breda. The further substructure of the bridge, as well as the substructure of the weir, were provided by N.V. Christiani & Nielsen's Gewapend Beton Maatschappij in 's-Gravenhage. The superstructure of the weir bridges and the sluice gates of the weirs were supplied by Werkspoor, while the remaining bridge segments were undertaken by N.V. Pletterij v/h L.I. Enthoven & Cie. in Delft. Machinefabriek Jaffa in Utrecht provided the operating mechanisms. The complex was opened on Saturday 5 October 1929 by Minister of Waterworks mr. Reymer. The lock was partially modernized after the Second World War and is located on the territory of the Gelderland municipality of Heumen. The eastern part of the weir and bridge, with the associated service dwellings and transformer house, also lie partly on Gelderland territory.

Within the municipality of Grave, only the part of the bridge and weir located on the territory of that municipality falls within the protection.

Description

The traffic bridge is a stiffened, almost entirely riveted steel bridge consisting of nine segments resting on seven pillars and two abutments. The total length between the outer faces of the abutments measures 515 metres. The segments have varying lengths, and consequently, varying heights. The rule is that the parts above the lock and weir have the same, greater length (60 metres) as those above the floodplains (50 metres). On the Brabant side, the last segment above the floodplain, bordering the weir and originally intended to form part of it (after the closure of the Beerse spillway), has a different structure than the others. The middle weir bridge is slightly larger than the other segments due to the fish pass present in the current pillar. The first section, bordering the lock, above the Gelderland floodplain is as wide as the sections above the river: this opening was from the outset intended for a possible expansion of the lock. The three weir bridges are level and have a navigation clearance of 4.8 metres. The remaining bridge segments have a gradient of 1:80. The walls of the bridge segments are lattice girders with curved upper edges, inclined end posts, verticals and rising and falling diagonals. The weir bridges have additional intermediate diagonals and verticals. Through the use of angle irons, the northern and southern walls of one segment are connected by a lower and an upper wind-bracing. The resulting portal is further stiffened by the use of tension profiles in the form of St Andrew's crosses. Below the bridge, the two-lane reinforced concrete roadway (width 7.5 metres) is supported by rolled standard section beams running lengthwise with a relatively narrow flange.

On the northern, downstream side is a suspended bridge (width 1.6 metres) for slow traffic, also with a reinforced concrete roadway, resting on standard section beams. Below all segments, except above the weir, hangs an original mobile painter's bridge. Abutments and pillars are constructed of concrete blocks with a core of unreinforced concrete. The lining of the Maas banks and the weir floor is cast concrete, locally reinforced with cast iron profiles and enclosed between iron sheet piling.

The weir bridges span the two western bays of the Maas and have on the southern, upstream side a platform welded to consoles for the mobile crane wagons that operate the sluice gates. The platform is also constructed on the other Gelderland bridge segments, so that the wagons can be maintained on that side. The weir can be closed by a system of sluice gates supported against yokes. The heavy metal wheel sluice gates move vertically in three rows one above the other in the yokes. The yokes are pivotally suspended on the upstream side of the fixed bridges, so that they rotate with the current when the weir opens. This offered significant advantages. Rapid opening of the weir, for example in the event of sudden ice movement, was thus possible. Closing, however, is made more difficult by this construction: the yokes are difficult to return to the seating on the weir floor. At Grave, this problem was solved by the application of an ingenious lifting system with chains and pulleys, operated by a crane wagon. This system was used following the example of a new weir on the Oder at Ransers. In 1975, the weir yokes and sluice gates were replaced and the operation was modernized. Weir operations have since been carried out from an operating house on the central pillar. To hoist and lock the yokes with their gates against the underside of the bridge, two new crane wagons were acquired.

The lock is located on the territory of Gelderland. This lock was executed according to the general working plan for the Maas Canalization Works. The width is 14 metres, the lock chamber 16 metres by 100 metres. The lock, which is still operated by hand, was expanded in 1972 with a second lock of 16 metres navigation width and 142 metres lock length. At that time, the approach harbours were also expanded and an operating building for the operating mechanisms of the lock gates was constructed. In order to remain water-free even during the highest water levels, the operating house was constructed on columns.

Valuation

The object is of general interest. It has cultural-historical value as an expression of a geographical and technical development, namely the opening up of the river area and the creation of better traffic connections between north and south in the Interwar period; it is of particular significance for the history of construction techniques in iron and steel; it is also of importance for the typological development of large traffic bridges. It has particular significance due to its location, connected with the development of the region, and also particular significance for the character of the region. It has ensemble values through the relationship of the bridge with the roads and waterways and the townscape of Grave. It is rare due to the applied combination of bridge and weir.