Nieuwe Maas

The Nieuwe Maas river that the city of Rotterdam (partly), Schiedam and Vlaardingen (partially) are located. The river emerges at the height of Slikkerveer from the confluence of the Lek and the North and ends 24 kilometers to the west in Vlaardingen, where she accompanies the Oude Maas and through the tear , and finally from the Maeslantkering through the New Waterway on to the North Sea flows. The main tributary is the IJssel that is 4 kilometers from the start, at the height of Kralingseveer, joins the Nieuwe Maas. To the west there are the Rotte and Schie .

Contents

 * 1 Geography
 * 2 History
 * 3 Bridges and tunnels
 * 4 See also
 * 5 External link

Geography
Although the name of the river, the word "Maas" in him, the Nieuwe Maas is actually one of the most important estuary arms of the Rhine and the influence of the Meuse on the Nieuwe Maas never been very large (unlike the Oude Maas ). Although the original mouth of the river traditionally known as the Maas estuary, the region around the river today as Rijnmond indicated, which is factually correct.

History
In the Middle Ages, the river was considered the lower reaches of the Merwede and the Nieuwe Maas was named by the locals Merwe. The river formed together with theMeuse (in the broad estuary Roman Time Helinium called). In the Middle Ages changed the course of the Meuse repeatedly here, however. Result was the Meuse Walk through the current Botlek area, along Brielle in the North Sea. Cities like Vlaardingen, Schiedam and Rotterdam thereby lost their good access to the North Sea .Moreover changed Merwede its course: after the St. Elizabeth flood was most of the water from the Merwede / Rhine between Dordrecht and Werkendam headed in a southwesterly direction (through the Biesbosch ), away from the former Maas estuary.

The Maas estuary as it was in 1769. "Map of the Bene Eden River Meuse and the Merwede from the North Sea to Gorinchem."

The result was that the Maas estuary increasingly bogged down, making shipping even more difficult. Therefore it was in 1830 by Voorne Channel created. But that offered only temporary relief. The mouth of the silting of the Tear, as well as the Nieuwe Maas and the narrow width of the canal through Voorne meant that was the accessibility of port cities at risk. Therefore, the purpose of shipping between 1866 and 1872 excavated the New Waterway. The original mouth of the (New- and Oude-) Maas (there also Brielse Maas ) was established in 1950 dammed in Brielle. The former course is recognizable even to the Botlek and the Brielse and Oostvoornsemeer .

The Tear arc earlier at the height of the Maeslantkering to the south, to get through what is now the Oostvoornse more at sea to result. During the construction of the New Waterway, the dig through the sand dunes over a length of about 4.3 km, the tear was dammed. This silted part of the tear was before that time also known as Pan or Crimea.

Bridges and tunnels
Nieuwe Maas in Rotterdam; in the foreground the Erasmus Bridge in the background Willemsbridge

The Nieuwe Maas traverse one of the most densely populated areas of the Netherlands and is therefore bypassed in many places or tunnelled.From west to east: Along the river is a major port and industrial area, especially on the south side.
 * Beneluxtunnel (motor vehicles ( A4 ), cyclists and metro line C )
 * Maastunnel (motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians)
 * Erasmus Bridge (motor vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and trams)
 * Subway Tunnel line D and line E
 * Willem Rail Tunnel (train)
 * William Bridge (motor vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians)
 * Brienenoordbrug (motor vehicles ( A16 ), cyclists, pedestrians)

Detailed map Nieuwe Maas

Water bus route 1 is about the Nieuwe Maas and the North.

External link

 * Current information - RWS