That’s how long the temporary emergency bridge will remain, and more facts about the Mandela Bridge

Since Thursday 26 January, the Nelson Mandela Bridge has been open again for walkers, cyclists, travellers, people in a wheelchair or on a scooter. A temporary emergency bridge has been installed with a ramp. How long will the temporary bridge actually last, and will there be another coating layer on the ramp? indebuurt asks the municipality.

That’s how long the emergency bridge will stay

According to the Municipality of Zoetermeer, the temporary bridge section will remain in place for at least one more year. An investigation into the bridge is now underway and if more is known, a recovery plan will be drawn up. The municipality is therefore looking into whether a combination can be made for the repair of the Nelson Mandela bridge with the plans for the entire station area. At the moment it is not possible to say how long this will take.

Ramp on the Nelson Mandela Bridge. Photo: in the neighborhood of Zoetermeer

Coating layer ramp

After the construction of the ramp, the municipality promised that a coating layer would be applied. The wooden surface can be quite slippery. As soon as the outside temperature is permanently warmer, and the contractor has time, a coating is applied to the wood, according to the municipality. This was not possible all this time because it was too cold.

Smooth ramp. Photo: in the neighborhood of Zoetermeer

Dark hole

Above the temporary bridge section, the roof is missing, so you are in the open air. In the evening and night it is a dark hole that you have to go through if you want to get to the other side of the A12. According to the municipality, the emergency bridge is equipped with lighting that works together with the other lighting on the bridge. There is also some light from the street lighting along the A12. But this place won’t get lighter than this.

Temporary bridge section with lighting on the sides. Photo: in the neighborhood of Zoetermeer

Screens

There are large gray screens on both sides of the emergency bridge. These are to stop the wind and to prevent rain. Great, because you don’t want a splash of rainwater on your head, and because of the large yellow-blue hood we were always a bit spoiled.

Gray screens at the Mandela Bridge. Photo: in the neighborhood of Zoetermeer

Coating on the tiles

The small gray-colored tiles on the bridge have always been slippery in rainy weather. During the construction of the emergency bridge, these tiles were given a coating layer so that we slip less quickly. Very nice, of course, but the black coating layer is already starting to peel off quite a bit. According to the municipality, a new coating will be installed as soon as the outside temperature is permanently warmer. The coating does not like the cold very much.

Coating layer tiles Mandelabrug. Photo: in the neighborhood of Zoetermeer

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