Doesn’t it seem like every corner in Amsterdam has a story? Right now we are standing before the Lijnbaansbrug. It is more than just a crossing.
The Lijnbaansbrug is known as bridge number 10. It elegantly arches over the Singel in Amsterdam Centrum. This bridge links the Lijnbaanssteeg with the southern edge of the Blauwburgwal.
Centuries ago a bridge existed here. The Lijnbaansbrug appears on Pieter Bast’s map from 1599. The map labels it as being in the Lijnbaan Steech which leads to the Blaeuwe Burchwal. Balthasar Florisz van Berckenrode also drew it on a map. Reinier Vinkeles captured the bridge in a drawing in 1785.
In 1883 the Lijnbaansbrug’s modern story began. A fixed bridge replaced a drawbridge. It rested only on pile foundations. By 1962 it was deteriorating. The land abutments showed cracks. Frequent collisions had tilted the pillars. The road surface no longer met standards.
The city allocated 398000 gulden. The goal was to widen the Lijnbaansbrug from 5.40 to 9 meters. Work extended into 1964. A photo from that time shows a dragline and flat barge submerged in the Singel.
Cornelis Johannes Henke designed the Lijnbaansbrug. The Dienst der Publieke Werken usually designed Amsterdam’s bridges. Dick Slebos and Dirk Sterenberg were usually the architects.
The Lijnbaansbrug crosses the water at a slight angle. Municipal and national monuments surround it. The Lijnbaansbrug itself is too young to be a monument.
The Lijnbaansbrug shares its name with the Lijnbaanssteeg. Both are named after ropewalks that once stood here. At that time the area outside the Singel was industrial. The Lijnbaansgracht bears a similar name. It refers to the same industry. It is located elsewhere.
As you stand on the Lijnbaansbrug consider its history. It connects more than streets. It links Amsterdam’s past and present. The Lijnbaansbrug remains an integral part of Amsterdam. It carries people through history every day. It is a testament to Amsterdam’s blend of history and progress.