A graceful arc of steel and brick. That’s the Schipholdraaibrug. It stands before you a testament to engineering and history.
The Schipholdraaibrug a swing bridge spans the Ringvaart canal. It connects Haarlemmermeer and Amstelveen near the Amsterdamse Bos. This wasn’t always its purpose. This spot held Fort aan het Schiphol a defensive structure. Its importance faded with a 1926 royal decree. The fort was demolished. The Schipholdraaibrug replaced it.
The bridge’s construction was tied to Schiphol Airport’s growth. The old Sloterbrug couldn’t handle the increasing traffic. In 1926 plans were made to upgrade the Spaarnwouderweg now the Oude Schipholweg. This became a major road. The expansion included extending it to Amstelveen via the Burgemeester Colijnweg. This road passed through the newly created Amsterdamse Bos.
The bridge opened in July 1936. A ferry operated there between 1932 and the bridge’s opening. The bridge’s gatehouse and abutments are built in the characteristic Amsterdam School style of brickwork. Notice the details. They are truly beautiful.
Today the Schipholdraaibrug is mostly one-way. It leads from Schiphol towards Amstelveen. It’s part of the A9 motorway’s on-ramp. Traffic from the Amsterdamse Bos to Badhoevedorp and Schiphol must use the Bosrandbrug. The Schipholdraaibrug was unexpectedly closed from February 17 2014 to October 6 2016. This was due to an unexpected settlement. A bridge abutment was replaced.
An underpass was added on the bridge’s east side. This is for cyclists and pedestrians. It connects the Burgemeester Colijnweg to the Amsterdamse Bos. Two small bridges were necessary here. They connect the canal bank to the underpass within the bridge’s embankment. The Schipholdraaibrug is part of the Staande Mastroute a special route for tall ships. Since 1970 it has been overshadowed by the Schipholbrug on the A9. That larger bridge only opens for the Staande Mastroute convoys.
The Schipholdraaibrug silent witness to a century of change. It stands as a sturdy link between the past and the present a symbol of Amsterdam’s resilient spirit and inventive engineering.