Sharply folded wings rest on the banks

With its green grass banks with their large trees and the park-like atmosphere, the Erasmusgracht is a picturesque environment with a high recreational value. The shape of the bridge reveals the interaction of the forces that are in play as the result of the combined requirements underlying its design. First there is the need for a bridge section to be removable, then there are the minimum shipping headroom and the span. The resulting line of moments can be read from the steel structure that rests its wings on either bank from the central pillar.