New Kruispoort Bridge in Bruges for smooth and safe traffic

De Vlaamse Waterweg nv, the city of Bruges, and the AWV have presented the approved concept. Sweco’s integrated and high-quality approach has led to this preferred concept. The new Kruispoort Bridge will be moved approximately 90 meters and transformed into a deck bridge for smoother navigation.

Sweco was responsible for preparing the preliminary note for the renovation of the Kruispoort Bridge in the past year. Various variants were considered to arrive at a preferred concept. The bridge serves as an excellent lever to thoroughly address the surroundings of the Kruispoort. The ring road of Bruges forms a very complex traffic junction, up to ten lanes wide, resulting in an unclear and unsafe environment.

Design sketch for the new Kruispoort Bridge (bottom right) and its surroundings (R30, Vesten, Kruispoort) © Sweco

Attention to heritage and traffic flow

At the same time, the Kruispoort is located in a highly valuable heritage environment. The monumental Kruispoort serves as a historical gateway to the city center of Bruges. The Vesten, together with a number of windmills, create one of the most iconic views of this UNESCO World Heritage zone.

An Vanhulle, Senior Project Manager at Sweco: “The study work resulted in a proposal with some significant changes compared to today: the current bascule bridge will be replaced by a deck bridge with a large span and will be moved approximately 90 meters away from the Kruispoort. This will give the monument more breathing space, allow ships to pass more smoothly, and better integrate the bridge into the traffic system. The new bridge will be an extension of Maalse Steenweg.”