Clearance height 0.90 m
Clearance width 6.60 m

Description of its historical significance:
Introduction

The Constabel Bridge, a bascule bridge built in the Dutch style, dates from 1922 and was designed by the construction and engineering firm Gebr. Klinkenberg nv in Wormerveer, Netherlands. It connects Spuistraat with Bult and spans the Nieuwe Haven (New Harbor). The Constabel Bridge is a prominent feature of the protected townscape of Edam and is one of a series of iron bridges spanning the Nieuwe Haven.

Description

A single-span, manually operated drawbridge in the western Hamei style, operated by a hand winch and a straight rack and pinion drive. The bridge consists of wooden sleepers with roadways on steel girders with leeward bracing, resting on masonry abutments. The clearance is 6.60 meters, and the roadway width is 4 meters. The tapered Hamei beams, some riveted and some trussed, are anchored to the concrete of the northern abutment with bolted connections. A plaque bearing the inscription "Gebr. Klinkenberg/Constructiewerkplaats/Wormerveer" is located on the inside of the western Hamei beam. The Hamei railing is a double truss structure, horizontally connected by windward bracing. A plaque bearing the name "Constabelbrug" is attached to the decorative infill panel, which is bolted to the Hamei beams. The infill consists of truss and wing-shaped sections with a circular opening and features a plaque on each side in the center. The counterweight consists of riveted, solid counterweight beams with stiffening ribs and a ballast box on the north side. The windward bracing is diamond-shaped with a crossbeam. The suspension rods terminate in a steel base connected to the main girders. The bridge is flanked on both sides by an iron fence. The rods are arranged between iron railings. The upper railing terminates in an arch. On the south side, there is a fence on both sides of the abutment, the infill of which is secured between the rods with a bolted connection. The Constabel Bridge is of general importance due to its cultural-historical, typological, and architectural-historical value. It is a perfectly preserved example of a single-arm, manually operated iron drawbridge, based on a Dutch model from the first half of the 20th century, using a hand winch and straight rack. As part of a series of iron bridges spanning the Nieuwe Haven in the listed townscape of Edam, the Constabel Bridge has ensemble value.