Large sections of the new Krommewalbrug bridge were transported through the streets of Ghent on Saturday morning without any issues, with the components expected to be in place by Saturday evening.
The extraordinary high transport operation began at 6:00, moving two large bridge sections through the city centre from the Handelsdok, where they had been since late April. The sections, weighing 40 and 48 tonnes, reached up to 13 metres in height and 6.5 metres in width. “Fortunately, there’s little wind today,” said Geert Weymeis, spokesperson for the Vlaamse Waterweg. “The transport went smoothly and without encountering any obstacles.”
Despite the smooth operation, precautions were taken. Residents of around five addresses near the crane site were asked to evacuate. There was also a parking ban, temporary road closures, and traffic stoppages on the R40 between 6:00 and 8:00. Tram services experienced some disruption as well.
By 9:30, the bridge elements were ready in Sluizekenstraat, where they were hoisted onto a crane. The aim is to position them precisely against each other. “It’s all a matter of centimetres,” Weymeis added. The final phase of work on the Krommewalbrug attracted a considerable number of onlookers, with the police keeping a safe distance between them and the construction site.
The Vlaamse Waterweg expects the bridge sections to be in place by 17:00. However, the temporary pedestrian bridge will remain until the end of June, when the first pedestrians can cross the newly refurbished Krommewalbrug.
