This kind of bridge is called a “bascule” bridge or a “tail” bridge, which means that it has two arms that raise and lower a portion of the road. The part of the road that is raised is a square platform that is about 50 feet wide and 50 feet tall. Sometimes this bridge is called the “Flying Drawbridge” because it looks like the road is flying out of the way! It only takes a couple of minutes for the road to rise up. It is important for the bridge to raise quickly so that it does not interfere with traffic on the water or on the road. It almost looks like someone is carrying a pizza box up into the air or like a spatula that is slowly rising--it is certainly a very creative way to design a drawbridge. The bridge is named after the writer and poet J. Slauerhoff who was born in Leeuwarden, and the bottom of the bridge is painted with the colors of the flag of Leeuwarden: blue and yellow. The people that live in Leeuwarden are very proud of this bridge and see it as a symbol of their town. In a way, it is a symbol of all of the Netherlands because it shows the important relationship people have with water, trade, transportation and engineering. All of these things are a powerful part of Dutch culture and have shaped their relationship with the natural environment and with the rest of the world.
