Inundatiekanaal Tiel

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

Bridge (Floraweg).

NEW HOLLAND WATER LINE

Introduction

BRIDGE (Floraweg) built as a bank crossing and forming part of the former Oude Tielsche Weg. The raising or removal / destruction of bridges has since ancient times been a means of keeping out intruders. Not only did this obstruct or delay the passage of a watercourse, a dry or wet ditch or a terrain depression, but an attacker also had to provide the means to take the barrier themselves if necessary. Wooden bridges were relatively quick to destroy, if necessary by setting them on fire. Stone bridges required a larger and more time-consuming intervention, although an explosive charge could sometimes quickly achieve the desired effect. With the advent of iron bridges - applied on a large scale in many variants in the course of the 19th century - the second possibility remained, but the first disappeared. Blowing up bridges was capital destruction and only happened in the utmost necessity. One way in which iron bridges could be closed was by removing or rendering (small) parts of them inaccessible. The original bridge was presumably replaced before the Second World War by the current reinforced concrete example. The bridge is now intended for bus traffic and it was restored around 2011 after damage. The bridge deck is formed by a concrete slab bridge supported by 2 x 2 concrete piers. The type of slab bridge shows similarity to those built over the locks in the Inundation Canal. The bridge lies - unlike those three examples - somewhat askew (at an angle) over the canal; for this reason the bridge abutments are not positioned directly opposite each other. The bridge is nowadays flanked on the east side by a wooden bridge for slow traffic. On the northern canal bank lie some natural stone fragments of the original bridge.

Description

BRIDGE (Floraweg) over the Inundation Canal at Tiel and from time immemorial forming part of the Oude Tielsche Weg. Of the original bridge, in authentic condition remain both masonry abutments with natural stone elements and adjoining the obliquely outward-placed, masonry wings, in which woven work. The current concrete span consists of a reinforced concrete slab bridge; double, round pipe railings with flat balusters cast in concrete. Characteristic is the askew arrangement of the structure, which underscores its role as a traffic facility in an essentially east-west running road connection. The askew width from abutment to abutment is approximately 17.50 m.

Valuation

The BRIDGE (Floraweg) over the Inundation Canal at Tiel, which formed part of the Oude Tielsche Weg is of general importance because of:

* Cultural-historical values as part of the New Holland Water Line as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and initially constructed from 1815 by him, Jan Blanken and major-engineer Willem Offerhaus and subsequently strengthened and improved by others over approximately 125 years.

* Architectural-historical values in particular as an expression of military-strategic building, which was based on and arose as a consequence of: a. the system of inundation and access defence (19th century),

This concerns a component of approximately 1878, namely an expression related to military-strategic building of the historical road and water engineering in the form of a bridge for civil and military purposes.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the New Holland Water Line. Also because of the functional and physical coherence with the other components of the complex and in particular with the three concrete bridges over the locks of the Inundation Canal.

* The component is moderately well preserved because it only comprises the two abutments in authentic condition, but it has nevertheless retained its function and furthermore its askew arrangement has remained unchanged.