The load out of the new Weesperbridge at Mercon’s fabrication hall in Gorinchem took place today on 13 August. Before this 145m long and approx. 1000 tonnes weighing bridge leaves Mercon’s quay side, the bridge will disassembled into 2 parts. This work will be done on the barge at the quay side. In the design the separation of the arch and the base bridge has already been taken into consideration because of limitation of the bridges the new Weesperbridge has to cross to get to its final destination in the Amsterdam-Rhine canal.
In the town of Nigtevecht, Mercon has prepared a building site where the arch will be assembled again with the base bridge. In the beginning of September, the new Weesperbridge will set sail towards the building site in Nigtevecht. In the first weekend of October the actual replacement operation will be carried out.
The Weesper bridge is a second replacement in a series of eight replacements and refurbishments of eight steel arch bridges which form part of the KARGO Project. KARGO which means ‘’Kunstwerken Amsterdam Rijnkanaal Groot Onderhoud’’ is a € 90 mln project awarded to Mercon and KWS in 2010 by the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat).
Mercon and KWS won the KARGO project as they offered the smartest and most cost effective approach towards replacement and refurbishment with minimal hindrance to the water and road traffic.