North Holland bridges and locks face delays due to critical maintenance work
Starting June 1, North Holland’s bridges and locks will operate with delays due to essential maintenance on the central control system. Shipping times may extend by up to an hour, so plan ahead to avoid disruptions.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Dates | June 1–2, 2026 (possibly June 11) |
| Affected Infrastructure | 35 bridges and locks in North Holland |
| Control Centre | De Lange Balk, Heerhugowaard |
| Operating Hours During Work | 9:00 AM – 6:15 PM (local operation) |
| Expected Delays | Up to 1 hour for shipping |
| Contact for Info | 0800-0200 600 (free) or www.noord-holland.nl/centralebediening |
The Province of North Holland manages critical waterway infrastructure, ensuring safe and efficient passage for shipping. This maintenance is part of their responsibility to keep the control systems reliable and operational.
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Read the full translated article below
Limited operation of bridges and locks due to maintenance of control centre by Province of North Holland
On Monday, June 1, and Tuesday, June 2, and possibly on Thursday, June 11, 2026, the Province of North Holland will carry out maintenance on the control centre for bridges and locks. During these works, central operation of the 35 bridges and locks connected to the control centre will be temporarily unavailable.
Operation will take place on-site during these days. Shipping must therefore allow for adjusted operating times and longer waiting times.
The Province of North Holland operates a large number of bridges and locks from the control centre De Lange Balk in Heerhugowaard. To make this possible, complex technology and ICT applications are used. Maintenance is required from time to time to keep these systems reliable.
Maintenance on June 1, 2 and possibly 11
From Monday, June 1, at 5:30 AM until Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00 AM, the Province will replace the hardware of the control centre, including the servers. This means that bridges and locks will temporarily be unable to be operated from the control centre. If the work is not completed on June 1 and 2, works will also take place from Thursday, June 11, at 6:00 AM until Friday, June 12, at 5:30 AM. In that case, bridges and locks will also not be operated from the control centre on that day.
Impact on shipping
To allow shipping to proceed as smoothly as possible, the Province will deploy additional bridge and lock operators. They will operate bridges and locks on-site. Operation will take place between 9:00 AM and 6:15 PM. Due to local operation, the operating times will differ from the regular schedule and there may be less frequent operation than usual. Shipping must allow for longer waiting times, which may amount to up to an hour. The Province asks waterway users to take the works into account and to plan their journeys in advance where possible.
More information
For questions about the works, (water)way users and local residents can contact the Service Point at 0800-0200 600 (free of charge) or by email. The works can also be followed via www.noord-holland.nl/centralebediening or via the Facebook page @NoordHolland. Information about operating times or disruptions to bridges and locks can be found on the website www.vaarweginformatie.nl.
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