Maastricht – The province of Limburg will have a new bridge connecting with Belgium across the Maas River in the municipality of Echt Susteren. The more than seventy-year-old Pater Sangersbrugge is being replaced, between the village of Roestren and Maasieke in Belgium. The parties involved signed an agreement of intent on Thursday.
The bridge, which opened in 1952, needs to be replaced, partly due to damage from rising water levels that the city of Limburg had to deal with in the summer of 2021. A little further away will be a new bridge measuring 185 meters long and 21 meters wide. Limburg itself does not have to contribute to the construction. Flanders has allocated €20 million to the project, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is contributing more than €6 million.
Construction of the new bridge is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025. The existing Pater Sangersbrug Bridge will remain open until the replacement bridge is ready, so that traffic can continue to cross between Belgian and Dutch Limburg.
“Given the great importance of cross-border traffic, now is the time to replace and modernize this bridge, after years of faithful service,” says MP Jasper Kuntzellers (Mobility). “So that it can continue to meet the infrastructure demands of today and future generations. Replacing the Pater Sangers Bridge will not only improve road safety and traffic flow, but will also contribute to the sustainable development of our region.
