“We have been working on strengthening the bridge under Purmerend on the A7 since 5 April 2024. In October 2022, it was reported that the bridge was no longer strong enough to carry heavy vehicles. A weight restriction of 25 tonnes was therefore imposed,” reports Rijkswaterstaat (the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management).
Despite the restriction, many heavy goods vehicles crossed the bridge, so the Rijkswaterstaat decided to impose a total ban on heavy goods traffic in this section. This has been in force since 29 April.
Road users are informed of the new road situation by signs at the roadside. From the north, goods traffic is diverted at junction 6 Purmerend-Noord via the N244 and N246 towards the A8 motorway. From the south, lorries have been diverted at the Zaandam junction via the A8, N246 and N244 towards junction 6 Purmerend-Noord.
Writing in the Noord-Hollands Dagblad, Elisabeth Post, president of the Dutch transport association TLN, explains what it means for hauliers not to be able to cross the bridge on the A7 motorway at Purmerend.
“It costs them more time, more money, means more emissions and diesel consumption. In addition, there is a risk that traffic jams will form on the detours,” commented the TLN president.