Maastunnel

On June 15, 1937, the city of Rotterdam started building the Maastunnel. It was a big project because the underwater tunnel was not only the first one in the Netherlands but also the longest in Europe.

The Maastunnel was finished on February 14, 1942, during the German occupation of the city.

Even today, the tunnel is one of the most important traffic connections in Rotterdam.

It has two parts, each with two lanes for cars, two lanes for bikes, and a sidewalk for pedestrians.

Due to the growing population and increased port activities in Rotterdam, there was a strong need for a better connection between the two sides of the river in the 1930s. In 1935, the Department of Public Works announced plans to build a tall suspension bridge.

However, because of financial reasons, they ultimately decided to build a tunnel instead.

The idea for the project came from L.W.H. van Dijk, the director of Gemeentewerken, and the design was done by architects J.P. van Bruggen and Ad van der Steur.

They were inspired by the Holland Tunnel between New York and New Jersey.

Construction of the Maastunnel officially began on June 15, 1937.

The project used the immersed tunnel method, which means the different parts of the tunnel were built elsewhere and then submerged in the Maas River.

The tunnel had a total of nine segments, each 60 meters long, 25 meters wide, and 9 meters high. Inside the tunnel, separate tubes were created for cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. They also installed a futuristic ventilation system for that time and a laboratory to check the air quality.

The whole project cost over 9 million euros.

On February 14, 1942, the Maastunnel was officially opened. Because of the German occupation of Rotterdam, there weren’t many festivities during the opening.

Since its opening, the Maastunnel has become one of Rotterdam’s most important traffic links. On a regular workday, it’s estimated that over 75,000 cars and 4,000 cyclists use the tunnels under the Maas River.

It remains the longest underwater tunnel in Europe.

In 2012, the Maastunnel was recognized as a national monument, and its 75th anniversary was celebrated in 2017.

After a three-year renovation, the Maastunnel was reopened in October 2020.

Discover other bridges in Rotterdam