The Green Connection is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the south of Rotterdam with the green space outside the city. The bridge is nearly 200 metres long, weighs over 600 tonnes and spans the Betuwe railway line and the A15 motorway. The transport and lifting operation of the uniquely-designed bridge presented a special challenge.
In January 2012, a lock gate weighing 90 tonnes of the lock in the picturesque village of Eefde (NL) fell down. As a result, the only access from the river IJssel to the Twentekanaal was blocked and 40 inland navigation vessels could no longer leave the Twentekanaal. A major problem for inland navigation and shippers in the Twente region, who could no longer ship their cargo.
