Nijmegen Bridge

An arch spanning the Waal where history turned on a single moment in September 1944.

The Waalbrug is an arch bridge spanning the Waal River in Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. With a full length of 604 metres and a middle arch rising about 65 metres high, it was the longest arch in Europe at the time of its construction. While often associated with the drama of World War II, this structure has a distinct history as a literal arch bridge where all forces work on two pylons. Opened on 16 June 1936 by Queen Wilhelmina before a crowd of 200,000 people, it replaced the unreliable Zeldenrust ferry that had served local road traffic since time immemorial.

Quick Facts

Opened: 16 June 1936
Construction start: 23 October 1931

Lore & Background

The bridge's existence began with planning by the Nijmegen Vooruit committee in 1906, though World War I delayed progress until definitive plans were made by architect G. Schoorl in 1927. Construction started on 23 October 1931. Its strategic value became immediate upon completion; until 1936, no permanent road connection existed across the Waal. On 10 May 1940, German paratroopers captured the bridge intact after Dutch attempts to demolish it failed. In 1944, during Operation Market Garden, the Germans prepared the bridge for demolition, but Jan van Hoof, a Rover Scout and member of the Dutch Resistance, is credited with disabling some charges. However, the bridge's survival is also attributed to the rapid Allied advance and the German failure to detonate. On 20 September 1944, allied forces captured the intact structure. A plaque now commemorates van Hoof's actions.

Reader's Guide

Visitors and historians note the Waalbrug's unique construction: it is an arch bridge in the literal sense, with an arch length of 244.1 metres that stood as Europe's longest at its debut. The bridge was painted green from its opening until 1980; today it is white. For those interested in its pop culture footprint, the Waalbrug appears in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far and the non-fiction book Band of Brothers. It also features in several computer games including Medal of Honor: Frontline, Medal of Honor: Vanguard, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Gates of Hell: Airborne, and Battlefield V. While traffic jams were common by 2005, the opening of the Snelbinder Bridge for cyclists in 2004 provided an alternative route connected to the rail bridge.