Truckers say Merwede Bridge warning signs unclear, especially for foreign drivers

Truck drivers say warning signs for the closed Merwedebrug on the A27 near Gorinchem are unclear, particularly for foreign colleagues. Despite the ban, trucks continue to drive onto the bridge. Rijkswaterstaat has promised improvements, and fines can now be issued.

Even though signs state that the Merwedebrug is closed, critics say this is not always clear enough. “Which foreigner knows where the Merwedebrug is?” drivers ask on social media, according to Rijnmond.

“The text board is hard to read. Just before the bridge you encounter signs twice,” another driver wrote. “If you know, you can anticipate. For a foreigner this is almost impossible.” A further problem is that many truck navigation systems still route drivers over the bridge.

Rijkswaterstaat understands the complaints. “We recognize the signs, and therefore we continue to improve the communication along the road,” a spokesperson said. The agency is also looking into “multilingual communication.”

Special cameras were installed this weekend and put into use immediately. This had previously been scheduled for Monday.

A ban on truck traffic has been in effect since last Saturday after an inspection showed that the steel arch construction has been weakened. Additional research into the condition of the bridge is still underway.

Ten years ago, the Merwedebrug also faced major problems. A new bridge is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2031.