Smitsvest bridge: maintenance-free bicycle bridge Bergen op Zoom

With the arrival of the slow traffic bridge, a connection has been made between the Nieuwe Vesting and the Smitsvest-Boerenverdriet in Bergen op Zoom. The modern and maintenance-free bridge designed by Bureau wUrck and realized by Hillebrand, part of the ASK Romein company, is 21 meters long and weighs 38 tons. 

A bridge with a story
The design was inspired by the constructions of old peat boats that used to sail over 'De Zoom', with their characteristic ribs and round shapes. Corten steel was chosen not only for its durability - after all, Corten steel is 100% recyclable and maintenance-free - but also because of its color. After oxidation, the bridge has the color of madder, a plant that was widely cultivated in this area until the 1860s. A nice detail is the integrated LED lighting installed in the structure and behind the name "Smitsvest Bridge," which makes the bridge look particularly beautiful not only during the day but also at night. 

The transport of the bridge, first by water from the Hillebrand site and the final stretch by road. Because the bridge was made pre-fab, it could be placed in its entirety relatively quickly, minimizing the inconvenience at the site itself (Image: Dimitri Janssens Photography).

Maintenance-free due to weather-resistant Corten steel
Because of the requirements for maintenance and longevity of the object, Corten steel was chosen in consultation with the architect. The specific material properties also played a role: through oxidation, the bridge turns a light orange color and then becomes slightly darker. In two years, the oxidation process stops and a natural rust protection layer is created. The bridge thus makes its own coating and is maintenance-free and thus durable.

The bridge is the gateway to the New Fortress and goes from "covered" to open. Halfway across the bridge there is an area for people to lean on to enjoy the beautiful view.

Integral collaboration in a construction team
Harm Wattel, commercial manager at Hillebrand, clarifies what makes this project so special. "Through an integral collaboration between the municipality, architect and contractor, we arrived at an optimal design, paying the necessary attention to the architectural vision but also critically examining the technical aspects and the challenging budget. By combining these issues in the preliminary phase and thinking across each other's disciplines, many challenges were tackled before the start." Wattel continues: "It required a healthy team spirit and a lot of commitment from all parties to enter into that construction team collaboration, but it did result in a lower overall cost. It therefore makes me particularly proud that this is precisely how, by respecting each other's interests, we were able to achieve something so beautiful!"

Hoisting the Smitsvest Bridge in its entirety, by Hillebrand (Image: Dimitri Janssens Photography).

Short lead time and little inconvenience
"The bridge was realized by Hillebrand in an extremely short lead time, and the company succeeded in this by spreading the work over two different sites. The deck was made at Hillebrand in Vlissingen and the more than 50 curved slats, which give the bridge the shape of an inverted peat boat, were manufactured in Middelburg. This was not only a great advantage for the customer but also for ASK Romein itself a fine mutual cooperation between two of its seven branches.

Both the construction of the bridge and the name in the portal (carved in Corten steel) incorporate LED lighting. This gives the bridge a special appearance not only during the day but also in the dark. (Image: Dimitri Janssens Photography)

An additional advantage of our waterfront locations is that the bridge could be transported over the water, then the last bit over the road and then hoisted in one piece. As a result, the inconvenience at the site itself was very limited." Wattel concludes, "A unique object, beautiful architecture but the special thing is that it came about through a construction team collaboration."