A series of moats and fortresses were built over the West Brabant Water Line region of the Netherlands during the 17th century in order to provide protection from invasion by France and Spain. Fort de Roovere was surrounded with a shallow moat that was too deep to march across, and too shallow for boats. In turn the earthen fort had remained protected –until now.
From afar, the Moses Bridge is invisible to the eye. The flow of the moat appears continuous, as the water level remains at the same level, reflecting the surrounding foliage. As visitors approach the fort, the bridge appears as a break in the water with its sloping walls containing it.
First lying flush with the earth, the bridge then descends deeper into the ground. Lined with wood sheet piling for walls, the deck and stairs sit between. The bridge and its components have been made from sustainable hardwood that is Cradle to Cradle Gold certified. The Accoya wood is also treated with a nontoxic coating, protecting it from fungal decay and increasing its durability — an ideal material for a sunken bridge. Like a dam, the walls of the bridge hold the waters of the moat back, and like Moses, the bridge parts the waters so that pedestrians may pass.
The bridge can’t be seen from a distance because the ground and the water come all the way up to its edge. When you get closer, the fortress opens up to you through a narrow trench. You can then walk up to its gates like Moses on the water.
According to the designers, virtually no water spills over the edge because the height of the water is controlled by two small adjustable ‘dams’ at both sides of the moat. The dams are set at a height to.Ad Kil and Ko RosterArchitects of the Moses Bridge ensure that when the water level rises, the water spills over and into the dams and not into the bridge. In case of a heavy rainstorm, a small pump under the bottom of the bridge evacuates the water.
The Moses Bridge was built in about 2 months in the middle of the moat waters by first dredging around the bridge site and then driving sheet piles into the ground.
Ro&Ad-Architects Ad Kil & Ro Koster
It looks nice but…What if rains ? It will be filled with water.
Then everyone gets to learn how to swim
It’s simple guys. The level of the bridge rises with the level of water…that’s the most apt solution I can think of, if there is..
Of course, Raise and Lower the bridge, that’s not mechanically complex. Haven’t learned about PUMPS in your egr 100 class yet. You’ll get there
There is probably a dam at the exact same height. That way if the water tries to rise, it will just go over the dam…
You guys are silly. If it rains, there’s a drain on the floor of the bridge. ;P
Looks like many people didn’t read the article… “In case of a heavy rainstorm, a small pump under the bottom of the bridge evacuates the water.”
Amazing how many people ventured an opinion when clearly they hadn’t bothered to even read the entire article. What’s that old saying? Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.
sump pump
They explained that in the article, there’s dams slightly lower then the level of the bridge and a pump under the bridge.
AWESOME! But what if the water rose five inches…. No more bridge!
You guys really show that you didn’t understand what you’ve just read. Wow. Or did you treat the article like a picture book, just browsing through the pictures? Man people these days
It is called get a bucket
I’m sure the engineers were not so shortsighted as to leave out a drainage system.
Drainage to where? Back into the moat with rising water? A sump pump system maybe, but certainly not your standard drainage.
And to whoever said rising bridge, that would be feasible except the bridge is connected to the land, and not just connected but buried in it. The idea of this thing being free floating is pretty far fetched based on what I’m seeing.
80 years of war taught the dutch how to defend their country. modern warfare was revolutionized by holland during their long struggle with the spanish. ive been studying this period recently, its funny to stumbleupon such an interesting example of what i have been reading about.
it’s a very neat design, however like couple of readers before me, I’m curious about the solution to the flooding problem.
im sure they have a drain system for when the river goes over or if it rains ….. there people arnt that stupid if they managed to get a bridge in the middle of the water
Maintenance must be a bitch
The flooding is a concern, but what about boats?
“Fort de Roovere was surrounded with a shallow moat that was too deep to march across, and too shallow for boats”
Here you go
READ THE F-ING ARTICLE BEFORE POSTING PURE IDIOCY YOU LAZY JERK.
Here Here!! To those who just look at the amazing, seems impossible pictures, READ THE GOD DAMN WORDS!!! THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON LAZY BUTTS!!
Such exotic architecture! I love this
I read about this bridge in the newspaper. They do have a drain system don’t worry. And the whole idea is amazing! The architects were geniuses!
the coolest bridge ever
I think it’s funny that so many of you insist they would have some kind of oslution for flooding. Well, I am here to tell you, you are all wrong. There are pictures somewhere, I am too lazy to search for them, where it shows it copletely flooded. Apparently they didn’t have a drainage system installed.
Guys, don’t think: ‘bridge drainage,’ think: river drainage. That’s obviously a man made canal; a spill way or culvert would protect against most seasonal water level changes but leave it vulnerable to excessive flooding. There is no spoon! lol
Wow… Your smart, characteristic, I think you leginamitly read the article, and you even added a Matrix joke! I like you… very much XD
Awesome design
someone divided water,, pretty amazing,
Please post a Google Map link. I can’t find it.
A Swedish (girl)friend of mine stumbled upon these pictures. Which was kind of funny, since she visited me here just two weeks ago and I took her to this exact place.
The location of this “Moses bridge” is in Halsteren, near the city of Bergen op Zoom. There isn’t really a google map link, since it’s between roads and you don’t have a view over the fortress.
it’s amazing how everyone trying to bash this drainage system clearly didn’t read the article. if any of you did, you would have answered your own ignorant criticisms.
“According to the designers, virtually no water spills over the edge because the height of the water is controlled by two small adjustable ‘dams’ at both sides of the moat. The dams are set at a height to.Ad Kil and Ko RosterArchitects of the Moses Bridge ensure that when the water level rises, the water spills over and into the dams and not into the bridge. In case of a heavy rainstorm, a small pump under the bottom of the bridge evacuates the water.”
derpa derrrrrrrrrp! i sho du luv me sum piktur bukz!
Really appreciable thought who made these all possible.
this is amazing architecture.
I would suggest that before commenting one would actually read the entire article. There are some amazingly ignorant posts here, considering that all the info about how they designed and built this with the water level in mind. The really amazing thing about this project is the wood. The technology behind Accoya® is based on wood acetylation, a process that has been studied by scientists for more than 75 years and proven to be an outstanding method of improving the technical properties of wood. The process essentially alters the actual cell structure of wood by transforming free hydroxyl groups into acetyl groups. Acetyl groups simply consist of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon and are already present in all wood (ranging from 1% to 8% by weight) and can be derived independently from acetic acid, i.e. vinegar. Thus, the process does not introduce anything to the wood that does not naturally occur in it. Meaning that the wood will not rot because it will not take on water, and it doesn’t “move” like normal wood does.
that guy on left looks like steve jobs
Glass walls would’ve made for a better moses-like effect.
Here it’s completely sunken.
http://www.sinbadesign.com/architecture/the-moses-bridge-sunken-bridge/
nice but scary…. a bridge IN the water!!!!
To everyone who rathers ask silly questions instead of reading the article.. Read the damn article
Attention!
Before leaving an opinion about wheather the bridge would be filled with water after a heavy rain:
R-E-A-D T-H-E A-R-T-I-C-L-E !!!!!!!