The Afsluitdijk is closed for the third time this week due to technical problems with the Stevin locks near Den Oever, according to the ANWB. It is unclear how long the disruption will last.
Due to the disruption, traffic cannot cross the A7. Rijkswaterstaat says it is working on a traffic measure so that road users can pass the bridge around 6:00 PM. Until then, traffic must travel via Flevoland.
Traffic was also unable to cross the Afsluitdijk for hours on Thursday morning. On Tuesday, it took an hour before the dike between the provinces of North Holland and Friesland could be used again. Road users could no longer cross the bridge towards North Holland during that disruption. Traffic was eventually directed over the South Bridge in both directions.
On Tuesday, there was a disruption caused by the heat. On Thursday, it turned out that a part of the bridge had broken off. “That part contains a sensor that measures whether the bridge is open or closed. And because the sensor no longer worked, the systems could not open or close the bridge either,” said a spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat.
The Stevin locks are located on the North Holland side of the Afsluitdijk near the town of Den Oever. The lock complex, along with other locks, is used to regulate the water level of the IJsselmeer.