In the weekend of 5 and 6 October, the Weesperbridge was replaced by a new bridge which was built at Mercon’s yard in Gorinchem. The operation started Saterday at 3pm and finished Sunday morning at 6 in the morning and caused as planned minimal hindrance for water and road traffic.
As soon as the old Weesperbridge was jacked up upon a barge, the new Weesperbridge was sailed in.
The Weesper bridge is a second replacement in a series of 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.