Tagged: room for the river

A new concrete bridge in a landscape with creeks and fields of wild flowers in the Noordwaard region in Biesbosch national park on a summer day

Two Room for the River Projects in the Netherlands

The Room for the River program came into being after the Betuwe region and a number of other places in the Netherlands were almost flooded in the mid-1990s. The central idea was to prevent future flooding, not by the usual dyke reinforcements, but by digging new river channels and redesigning the floodplains. Also nature and recreation were supposed to be given new opportunities in these developments. Have those good intentions been implemented? Yes, they have. I’ve already written about the projects in Deventer and Nijmegen, for which I did some work myself. And this summer, I visited two other Room… Read More

Sunset behind the new city bridge De Oversteek (The Crossing) in Nijmegen as seen from a little beach on the banks of the river Waal

The New Bridges of Nijmegen

When I visited the Room for the River project in Nijmegen, a year ago, I decided I had to come back after completion of the work. And so it happened last week, a day with four seasons, which resulted in very photogenic weather. I came back with a memory card full of pictures, especially of the five new bridges in the area. River park Nijmegen now has a beautiful river park in the heart of the city. Although at some places it still looks a bit new and barren; grass, flowers and other vegetation are still working to recapture the… Read More

The skyline of Deventer with Saint Lebuinus church, the ferryboat and the new pontoon bridge seen from the Worp near the IJsselhotel

Deventer: Return of the Pontoon Bridge

For about 350 years, the Deventer Pontoon Bridge was an important connection between the west and east of the Netherlands. With the opening of nearby Wilhelmina Bridge in 1948, this remarkable river crossing became obsolete. But now the Pontoon Bridge is back, or well, a nostalgic reference to it. As a by-catch of the Room for the River project. Animation A few days before Christmas, I was in Deventer once again. This time I was more lucky with the weather than a few months ago. Finally the sky looked more or less like in the images and animations that I made for Room… Read More

Room for the rivier Deventer: the city and park De Worp are reflected in the new channel, seen from the railway bridge

Room for the River Deventer: Almost Finished!

I had not picked the best day to go to Deventer. When I came out of the station the drizzle had just begun to turn into more serious rainfall. But I have nevertheless made a little tour across the railway bridge, past De Worp and across Wilhelminabridge, to see how the Room for the River project was progressing. The project for which I made this animation and that by now is almost finished. Mirror pond From the railway bridge, there’s a great view of one of the new channels that will provide a better flow during high water levels. And… Read More

Photo made in May 2015 of the Room for the River project in Nijmegen, showing the work on progress on the new channel and the Promenade Bridge

Work in Progress: Room for the River, Nijmegen

About five years ago, when employed at Royal HaskoningDHV, I worked on the Room for the River project near Nijmegen. Perhaps the most radical of all the projects in the national Room for the River program. Near the village/neighbourhood of Lent a new channel is created, cutting off the inside bend of the river Waal, resulting in a new island: Veur-Lent. Among other things, I made this animation. Suggested soundtrack: “This is your Lent” by Simple Minds on. Stills from the film were used to inform the public about the project like on these information cubes: Last Friday I was… Read More

View of the future breakwater islands in the IJssel river near Deventer, part of the Room for the River project

Islands in the Stream

Stentor was, in Greek mythology, a herald with a loud voice who served in the Greek army at Troy. De Stentor is also the regional newspaper of Deventer and surroundings. Island breakwaters On April 12th, de Stentor published this image, made by 3Develop, to illustrate an article about the island breakwaters that will be made in the IJssel river: Innovation The island breakwaters are part of the Room for the River project that aims to enhance the flow of water in the IJssel, in order to prevent flooding. They are an innovative way to ensure that the channel does not… Read More