Merwedebrug closed for four days for lighter asphalt
The A27 bridge near Gorinchem will close in both directions from Thursday evening, with journey times possibly increasing by an hour.
.jpg){kind=link}
The Merwedebrug on the A27 will close to all traffic at 21.00 on Thursday 24 September. Rijkswaterstaat is replacing the asphalt with a lighter layer because the existing bridge must carry less weight while a new bridge is being built.
The closure will last until 05.00 on Monday 28 September. Rijkswaterstaat expects major traffic problems on surrounding roads, particularly on Friday. According to the agency, journey times could increase by around 60 minutes.
During the work, the existing asphalt layer will be removed and replaced with a thinner, lighter layer. This is intended to reduce the weight of the old bridge. According to Rijkswaterstaat, this is necessary to keep the bridge safe to use while the new Merwedebrug is being built.
Traffic between Utrecht and Breda will be diverted via the A2 and A59, among other routes. For traffic travelling from Breda towards Utrecht, routes via the A59, A16 and A15 are planned. Traffic heading towards Waalwijk and ’s-Hertogenbosch will also be given alternative routes. Disruption will be exacerbated because sections of the A59 and A2 will also be closed for maintenance that weekend.
Cyclists will still be able to use the cycle path on the east side of the bridge during the closure. Arrangements have been made with the emergency services to keep the area accessible. For cars and lorries, however, the diversions are the only available road routes.
A ban on lorries and coaches has already been in force on the Merwedebrug since July. Rijkswaterstaat said at the time that the steel in the arch was less strong than previously assumed. After the asphalt work, the bridge will have a maximum speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour, partly because of possible height differences at the expansion joints.
The work is part of a larger replacement programme for Dutch infrastructure. Construction of the first new, western Merwedebrug began in August and, according to the current schedule, should be completed in 2031. Rijkswaterstaat expects research results on the effect of the lighter asphalt in October. By the end of this year, it should be clearer what further steps are needed.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The practical information comes directly from Rijkswaterstaat and is partly independently confirmed by the ANWB. No inaccurate core claims were found.
- confirmed The Merwedebrug will be closed in both directions from 24 to 28 September 2026. — Rijkswaterstaat gives the closure period as 21.00 on Thursday until 05.00 on Monday. source
- confirmed Journey times could increase by around 60 minutes. — This is stated in Rijkswaterstaat’s traffic information. source
- confirmed A ban on lorries and coaches has been in force since July. — Rijkswaterstaat links this to the lower strength of the steel in the arch. source
Editor's note
The closure, diversions, expected disruption and technical reason have been confirmed by Rijkswaterstaat. The precise level of traffic and the eventual next steps remain expectations.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „merwedebrug gorinchem”
- NU.nl — „merwedebrug gorinchem”
- De Telegraaf — „merwedebrug gorinchem”