Program between 12:00 and 17:00
On April 11, 2026, at 12:00 PM, the official opening ceremony will take place. Our deputy Klaas Ruitenberg will perform this together with Mayor Frans Backhuijs and Alderman Michiel Rijsberman, both from the municipality of Lochem. After this opening ceremony, everyone can access the bridge on foot, by bike, scooter, rollerblades, skateboard, or walker. The program for that day will be announced in March. On April 11, we will also remember the 2 employees who passed away and the 2 employees who were seriously injured. This happened during the fatal accident in February 2024 during lifting work on parts of the Nettelhorster Bridge. A permanent memorial will also be created. We are working on this together with the bereaved families.
Bridge open for traffic on April 13, 2026
On Monday, April 13, 2026, at 6:00 AM, the Nettelhorster Bridge will open for motorized traffic. From that moment, cars, motorcycles, and trucks coming from Goorseweg and Kwinkweerd can cross the bridge. On the same day, we will close the Lochemse Bridge for all car traffic. Only pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed on the Lochemse Bridge from that moment onward.
Finalizing works
In the period after April 2026, construction company BAM will carry out the final finishing works. For example, the temporary roundabout on Kwinkweerd, which was built as a connection to the Lochemse Bridge, will be removed. The bike paths will also be connected to the Ampsense Knoop. All works are expected to be completed by June 2026.
Flow and accessibility
Together with the recently opened N825 Nettelhorsterweg, the new provincial road forms an important link between the Achterhoek, the A1, and the Stedendriehoek (Deventer-Zutphen-Apeldoorn). This greatly improves the safety and flow of through traffic. The landscape integration also enhances the green appearance of the area with characteristic tree lanes and estates.
After the commissioning of the Nettelhorster Bridge, the connection between the main access and exit roads of Lochem is a fact. Through (freight) traffic can now use Kwinkweerd to cross the new bridge to Goorseweg and vice versa. The existing Lochemse Bridge, the center of Lochem, and the area around Friesland Campina will no longer be burdened.