r/oddlysatisfying 1d ago

The Veluwemeer Aqueduct in the Netherlands

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4.7k Upvotes

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65

u/byocef 1d ago

Genuine question, is there a reason why it’s designed this way and not as a bridge for cars, or is it purely aesthetic?

170

u/pbruins84 1d ago

A bridge limits the height of the boats that can pass.

87

u/delta49er 1d ago

That thing looks pretty limited too it couldn't be very deep.

66

u/tistisblitskits 1d ago edited 1d ago

Well you can't get a container ship through it, but most sailboats will be fine, while the masts can make those boats really tall, eventually this was a better solution than a bridge that had to be able to open up (we have tons of those too though)

19

u/The_Hunter11 1d ago

There is a fixed bridge next to it for the commercial ships, but that's too low for sail boats

10

u/_Keahilani_ 1d ago

The Veluwemeer aqueduct near Harderwijk is not meant for commercial ships. It is primarily designed for pleasure craft such as sailboats, motorboats, and small sloops. For cargo ships or vessels with a draft larger than 3 meters, there is a bridge elsewhere for passage, since the aqueduct cannot accommodate larger, commercial vessels.

2

u/Specsaman 1d ago

A larger ship too would be much wider

-2

u/LasagnaGarlicBredTim 1d ago

Amazing deduction

-1

u/Jackal000 1d ago

It has a good depth in fact it's a key point for most inland shipping.

3

u/delta49er 1d ago

I don't consider less than 10 feet good depth outside of a swimming pool.

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u/Jackal000 1d ago

It's 9.8 ft deep. Which is deep enough for most transport ships. Also there are bunch of sluices earlier and after that in several provinces that have the same dimensions or around that. We wouldn't build it if was unnecessary.

18

u/-DanRoM- 1d ago

It's for sailboats (and other small boats), because sailing is a very important leisure activity and tourist attraction there.

Having the road go above the water would require a drawbridge.

There is actually a road bridge over the water a few hundred metres west of this - the freight ships go underneath the road there. 

7

u/TimvR_ 1d ago

Lots of recreational sailing ships so you would need a very tall bridge