Before you stands the Oude Haagsebrug, a structure steeped in history. It whispers tales of journeys and transformations. Let’s delve into the story of this bridge.
The Oude Haagsebrug, bridge number 1864, once spanned the Ringvaart. It connected Amsterdam to Schiphol via the hamlet of Nieuwe Meer. The road crossing it was the Oude Haagseweg. It was formerly Rijksweg 4.
Construction of the Oude Haagsebrug began in 1934. It was part of Rijksweg 4, one of the Netherlands’ first motorways. From 1938, it linked Amsterdam to The Hague via Schiphol. The starting point in Amsterdam was the Aalsmeerplein.
Originally, the Oude Haagsebrug was a bascule bridge. The machine house was easily visible on the Amsterdam side. A remnant of the bridge keeper’s house remained too. The bridge was slightly narrower than its access roads. The median strip disappeared at the entrance. The highway, widened to 2×2 lanes in the 1940s, became a simple two-way bridge here. There was no central reservation. Ramps existed on both sides of the Ringvaart. The Nieuwemeerdijk ramp towards The Hague still exists as a cycle path. On the Amsterdam side, one ramp is overgrown. The other serves as an access road to the former National Aviation Service and a marina.
In the 1960s, the highway shifted a few hundred meters northwest. This was during the construction of the new Schiphol Center. In 1966, it was routed over a new Ringvaart viaduct.
After the highway diversion, the Oude Haagsebrug fell into disuse for thirty years. Only the bicycle path received some maintenance. The movable bridge element was in poor condition. In the 1990s, it was replaced with a temporary section for emergency services.
In 2002, the Oude Haagsebrug became part of a dedicated bus lane. It ran from Amsterdam Nieuw-West to Schiphol. The steel emergency span was then replaced with a fixed concrete center section. Connexxion’s R-net lines 341, 397, and N97 and GVB’s R-net line 369 used the bridge.
Unlike nearby bridges such as the Sloterbrug and Schipholbrug, Amsterdam maintained the Oude Haagsebrug from 1992. The bridge had an Amsterdam bridge number. However, the municipal boundary lies on the Amsterdam side of the Ringvaart.
In January 2024, demolition of the nearly ninety-year-old bridge started. It is being replaced with a new structure. The new bridge is wider. Buses can now pass each other on it. Also, the bridge piers are on the bank, not in the waterway. This provides more space for shipping. The bridge is scheduled for completion in October 2024. Traffic is diverted during the work.
The Oude Haagsebrug has transformed over the years. It has gone from a vital highway link to a bus route. It stands as a testament to Amsterdam’s evolving infrastructure.