Nijmegen bridge

[Remmes]

We went to visit my brother-in-law today. He lives in Lent on the north bank on the river Waal, on the other side of Nijmegen that is. An opportunity to take a look at the Nijmegen bridge. Althought the forecast was sunny weather, the skies were overcast again...sigh. This is the bridge from the southern side; the dark lines to the north are the hills to the west of Arnhem. Yes they were that close!

[Remmes]

A little closer to the bridge there's a German PAK. It's in abysmal condition. A popular saying over here states that it's pointed at Arnhem for a reason....the soccer club Vitesse! (they have a bitter rivalry with the Nijmegen soccer team NEC)

[Remmes]

A view from the waterline. Pretty bleak surroundings.

[Remmes]

A view while walking the bridge. This way you get a pretty good feeling how wide the river actually is.

[Remmes]

A view from halfway down the bridge on the city of Nijmegen, a pretty historical place. Even the Romans had a settlement here with the name of Noviomagus. I have close ties to this city because my wife was born there.

[Remmes]

A view to the west from the bridge. You can see the railway bridge and the electrical plant in the distance. That is where the 504 PIR made the famous crossing of the Waal in their rubber dinghies. The arc to the right is the span for the new railway bridge.

[Remmes]

Looking south from the north bank. Don't know if these are the original steps. If so there would have been hard fighting going right over here.

[Remmes]

This is close to the place wheren 504 PIR made their crossing of the Waal. Actually it's a little further to the west but the road is closed to traffic because of the construction of the railway bridge. Their also used to be a monument here, but it appears they took it away temporarily. The arc is the new bridge span; the new bridge is called 'de Oversteek' which means 'the Crossing' in Dutch in remembrance of the heroics of september 20, 1944. This picture shows how far away the river actually is from the dike. Must have been hell crossing these fields in murderous fire, especially after having rowed the wide and fastflowing Waal in rubber dinghies while being shelled and shot at.

[Remmes]

View from the crossing point to the bridge which is visible to the left. It's a lot further than I expected it to be.The railway bridge can alse be seen with the yellow trains on it with the city of Nijmegen in the background. The people on the dike where al coming to see what was going on near the bridge an the massive rebuilding going on here. They are going to reconstruct this whole area in order to give the river Waal more space.
Too bad time was sparse.....after this it was off to the relatives for cake, coffee and a few cold ones.

[jimcarravall]

Ramses,

Thanks for the perspective.

Interesting to see the scale from a ground perspective.

Got an even older historical insight into the Dutch countryside downriver from Nijmegen while reading a biography about Vincent Van Gogh in January.

[Arjuna]

Ramses,

Yes that brought back fond memories of visiting those same sights in 2010. That monument was there then.

[dazkaz15]

Thanks for the pics Ramses.

I last saw the bridge when I did the Nijmegen march back in 1982. I still have the medal tucked away somewhere.

100 miles in 4 days, and very sore feet [X(]

[Phoenix100]

Thanks Ramses. Great pics. I can't remember - is the bridge the same original bridge?

[Remmes]

ORIGINAL: phoenix

Thanks Ramses. Great pics. I can't remember - is the bridge the same original bridge?

Ironically this bridge was actually built by the Germans. The original bridge was opened in 1936, but demolished by the Duth Army in 1940. The Germans restored it and from 1943 on it was functional again.....until now.

[Phoenix100]

Ironic, yes. So it is the actual bridge crossed by XXX Corps.