Over the tranquil Zwet water stands the Bakkersbrug. A simple wooden drawbridge it might seem. But its story is richer than you think. The Bakkersbrug bridge number 375 in Zunderdorp is named after a bakery. This bakery was located at number 19 Middenlaan. The building is a national monument. So is number 17. Both stand near the Bakkersbrug.
The Bakkersbrug wasn’t always there. A road crossed the Zwet much earlier. Jacob Kuyper’s map from around 1865 shows this. The current Bakkersbrug however dates from 1928. That year a new bridge was built. The municipality of Amsterdam paid over 13000 guilders for its construction. The Bakkersbrug was widened. This construction wasn’t without incident. An electrical cable was exposed. A pile driver even fell over. But on September 22 1928 the 62 wooden piles were in place. Masonry work began. The Bakkersbrug was almost ready. A temporary bridge was used during construction. The Bakkersbrug connected Zunderdorp to farms north of the Zwet.
The Bakkersbrug has unique features. The top beam extends slightly on both sides of the hoist gate. The gate isn’t a semicircle it’s a half-ellipse. A small decoration is at the point where the gate and beam meet. Amsterdam’s Public Works Department designed the Bakkersbrug. The designer remains unknown. In 1960-61 the superstructure was replaced. In 2018 the Bakkersbrug had a maximum allowed wheel load of 3.6 tons.
Don’t confuse the Bakkersbrug with bridge 86 over the Lijnbaansgracht. Until 2016 that was also known as the Bakkerijbrug. The Bakkersbrug in Zunderdorp however is a unique piece of Amsterdam’s history. A simple bridge with a complex and fascinating past. A testament to the quiet evolution of this charming corner of Amsterdam Noord. It stands proudly a silent observer of generations passing by. So take a moment admire the Bakkersbrug and imagine the stories it could tell.