Major transport disruptions over A27 bridge safety warnings

The Merwedebrug, which carries the A27 motorway over the river Merwede near Gorinchem, has been closed to all lorries since Saturday evening.

Roads agency Rijkswaterstaat said inspections found the bridge’s steel was weaker than expected in several places, and that it could no longer guarantee the structure would hold under heavy traffic.

Cars, vans, motorbikes, buses and emergency vehicles can still use it.

Lorries are being sent on long long detours as a result. It is not clear how long the closure will last.

Transport association TLN, which represents Dutch hauliers, said the impact was enormous. “Transport operators are already facing sharply rising costs,” the group said, pointing to a new lorry levy introduced on July 1 and higher diesel prices. “Extra detour kilometres only increase the financial pressure.”

The nearby Papendrechtsebrug closed last week for nine months of maintenance, cutting off one alternative route. The Merwedebrug was last shut to lorries in 2016, when cracks were found in its beams. That closure lasted nearly three months. A replacement bridge is due to be built starting this summer.