The Afsluitdijk was temporarily closed again in both directions on Thursday morning. Just like on Tuesday, this was due to technical problems at the Stevin locks. Traffic was able to resume quickly again.
A spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat says that the cause of the problems was not the same. On Tuesday, a malfunction occurred at the Stevin locks due to the extreme heat.
On Thursday, the problems arose because a part of the locks broke off. This part has a sensor that indicates whether the bridge at the Stevin locks should be open or closed. According to the spokesperson, the damage was not caused by the heat, but because the part was outdated.
Just like on Tuesday, road traffic could pass through again within an hour. This was because one of the two bridges in the Afsluitdijk was already closed due to work. Rijkswaterstaat is now temporarily opening that bridge so that cars can continue driving while the damage to the other bridge is being repaired.
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.