Sixteen Dutch bridges face collapse risk from vulnerable pre-stressed steel, inspections lagging
Follow the Money reports that sixteen bridges in the Netherlands could fail without warning due to hydrogen-induced cracking of pre-stressed steel, and that many required inspections have not been carried out.
Research by Follow the Money identified sixteen Dutch bridges at risk of sudden collapse because the pre-stressed steel embedded in their concrete can develop hydrogen-induced cracks. Notable examples include the Cadettencamp bridge on the A27 near Breda and the Westelijk Viaduct on the A9 near Uitgeest. The German Carolabrug failure in Dresden spurred Rijkswaterstaat to review national bridge safety, resulting in a recommendation to replace thirteen bridges urgently.
A former infrastructure minister sent a letter to parliament outlining five remedial steps, but a later advisory memo and second opinion from TNO, TU Delft and TU Eindhoven indicated that safety could not yet be confirmed. Rijkswaterstaat’s response shows that none of the bridges have had all recommended actions completed, and half have missed the required twice-yearly inspections, with four bridges not inspected for years. Program director Joost van der Beek argues that many measures are underway, citing recent closures of the Merwedebrug on the A27 and the Suurhoffbrug on the A15 for safety reasons.
Why it matters
Potential bridge failures could endanger public safety and disrupt major transport routes across the Netherlands.
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