Here stands the Jan Evertsenbrug. It is more than just a bridge. It is a complex system of viaducts. Amsterdam often refers to viaducts as bridges.
The Jan Evertsenbrug is in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. This concrete structure carries the Ringweg Amsterdam. It spans the Jan Evertsenstraat and a parallel waterway.
Construction began on May 1, 1969. By May 9, a large sand plain was visible. The structure was part of the Ringweg-West extension. It was then called Einsteinweg. The section between Jan van Galenstraat and Cornelis Lelylaan opened on June 27, 1972.
This intersection has no direct access roads. The Jan van Galenstraat exits are relatively close. The exit from the ring road to Jan van Galenstraat begins south of the Jan Evertsenbrug. The access road from Jan van Galenstraat to the ring road ends south of the bridge.
From above, the viaduct includes these parts. First there is an exit from the ring road to Jan van Galenstraat on the north side. Then there is a span of the ring road north over the Jan Evertsenstraat. Next is a span of the ring road south over the Jan Evertsenstraat. Last is the access road from Jan van Galenstraat to the ring road south.
From 1974, the viaducts were nameless. They were only known by the number 145P. This number indicates a bridge in Amsterdam. The state or province manages it. In this case, it was the state.
Amsterdam renamed almost all viaducts in the ring road on December 8, 2017. This was to improve location identification. The name Jan Evertsenbrug was added to the Basic Administration Addresses and Buildings. The structure was named after the Jan Evertsenstraat. The street is named after Admiral Jan Evertsen.
Southeast of the Jan Evertsenbrug are two former office buildings. The low-rise building is a branch of the Hotelschool The Hague. The high-rise building was an AMRO Bank office. Now, it is a hotel. Piet Zanstra, Ab Gmelig Meyling, and Peter de Clercq Zubli designed both. Southwest are the Knijtijzer blocks. Architect Herman Knijtijzer designed them. They are a municipal monument.
So next time you cross the Jan Evertsenbrug remember its history. It connects not just roads but also the past and present of Amsterdam.