Harmsenbrug, Cable-stayed bascule bridge in Rotterdam port area, Netherlands
The Harmsenbrug is a cable-stayed bascule bridge over the Hartelkanaal in the Rotterdam port area. It carries four lanes of road traffic and has a movable central section that can be raised to let large ships pass.
The bridge opened in 1968 alongside the Calandbrug, as part of a major expansion of port infrastructure in Rotterdam. Both structures were built to connect the growing port areas during a period of rapid development in the harbor.
The bridge is named after Willem Jacobus Hendrikus Harmsen, a former director-general of Rijkswaterstaat who shaped Dutch infrastructure for decades. Naming major port structures after key figures is a long-standing practice in Rotterdam.
The bridge can be crossed on foot, by bike, or by car, and the views of the working port on either side are easy to take in from the road. Daytime visits give the best chance of seeing ships on the canal.
In 2011 a separate bicycle bridge was built next to the main structure so that the original bike lane on the road deck could be turned into a full traffic lane. This allowed the crossing to handle more vehicles without rebuilding the bridge from scratch.
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