Bridge 34 History and Information
In 1907 it was investigated whether the Utrechtsestraat could be used as a radial road out of the city meaning it would have to be widened to 25 meters. It was considered too expensive and instead Vijzelstraat became the radial road and many of its buildings were demolished instead. In 1913 it was re-examined whether broadening the bridge was necessary to take into account the building line of the new Amsterdamsche Bank. The bridge was widened again around that time as the street would then be 20 meters wide between Rembrandtplein and Herengracht and then the bridge would be narrower around 11.5 meters. It was not until late 1927 that the construction of the bank started, but by then the bridge was already widened to accommodate it.
In the 21st century, the bridge became a point of contention in the renovation of Utrechtsestraat and its surroundings from 2009. The contractors could not agree on how to tackle the said bridge. Work stalled for at least a year due to disagreements regarding the thickness of the asphalt and the lowness of the bridge. In November 2010, it could be ascertained that the bridge was sturdy enough for traffic. As early as March 2011, there was renewed discussion as to whether the other two bridges on Utrechtsestraat should also be modified. After investigation, it was found that they would last another 10 years. In 2017, a bridge of prestressed concrete girders and a concrete road surface between two renovated abutments lies across the Herengracht. In the 21st century, the bridge became a point of contention in the renovation of Utrechtsestraat and its surroundings from 2009. The contractors could not agree on how to tackle the said bridge. Work stalled for at least a year due to disagreements regarding the thickness of the asphalt and the lowness of the bridge. In November 2010, it could be ascertained that the bridge was sturdy enough for traffic. As early as March 2011, there was renewed discussion as to whether the other two bridges on Utrechtsestraat should also be modified. After investigation, it was found that they would last another 10 years. In 2017, a bridge of prestressed concrete girders and a concrete road surface between two renovated abutments lies across the Herengracht. The bridge of prestressed concrete girders and a concrete road surface between two renovated abutments across the Herengracht was constructed with great care and attention to detail.