Isn’t Brug 950 a beauty? Bridges define Amsterdam. This city boasts more bridges than any other on Earth.
Brug 950 may seem like just another crossing. However, it plays its part in Amsterdam’s grand narrative. Amsterdam has at least 2058 numbered bridges. There are also at least 98 bridges with a P-number. These P-bridges are privately owned. Others belong to Rijkswaterstaat Provincial Water Authority or the High Water Boards.
But wait there’s more. Amsterdam features at least 54 locks. There are also at least 2034 unnumbered bridges or viaducts. Around 2540 culverts also function as bridges. In total, Amsterdam counts at least 6784 bridges. That makes it the undisputed champion of bridges worldwide.
Of these structures, 987 have names. The only criterion to call something a bridge is that it bridges something. This definition includes viaducts locks and culverts. There are also special categories for gate bridges jetty bridges and play bridges.
Did you know there are 2307 jetty bridges in Amsterdam? They bridge the gap to a jetty. Also, there are 3622 gate bridges. These create connections within buildings or building complexes. And for fun there are 598 play bridges. These enable crossings within play structures.
The city even keeps track of vanished bridges. The list concludes with 896 of them. All combined there are 14207 objects listed. Each one includes at least one photo. These photos are captured by Peter Korrel. He is also known as the Mokumse Bruggenjager or Amsterdam Bridgehunter. Peter collaborates with Cees Schumacher. Cees is a Mokumvorser. He writes many Wikipedia articles about Amsterdam’s bridges.
Officially recognized bridge names are shown in blue online. All unofficial bridge names in Amsterdam were removed on July 5 2016. Click the bridge number in the first column. That reveals detailed information about the bridge and its images. Erik Tjong Kim Sang developed a map of all numbered bridges. He used data from Open Street Map. Kuriocity.com also has a map showing bridges with Wikipedia articles. That website provides guides for Amsterdam locations.
So next time you cross Brug 950 remember this. You are participating in a city-wide phenomenon. Amsterdam’s bridges are not just crossings. They are vital threads in the city’s intricate web.