DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

17 October 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Election 2025
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Election 2025
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Longest cycle bridge in Europe comes to Groningen

March 3, 2020
Illustration: Blauwstad
Illustration: Blauwestad

Work has started on building Europe’s longest bridge for bikes – connecting the Groningen town of Winschoten with recreational area Blauwestad.

The 800m cycle and walk way, dubbed the Blauwe Loper, or Blue Carpet, consists of four bridges crossing the Winschoterdiep waterway, the A7 motorway, a nature reserve and the Oldambtmeer lake.

The structure, which will cost around €6m, will be built using sustainable material and will be fitted with solar cells, local authorities said.

Apart from pedestrians and cyclists the bridge will also accommodate bats which can use the led lighting on the bridge to cross from their habitat in a nearby park to their foraging place on the Oldambtmeer. The bridge will also be painted in a ‘bat-friendly colour’, local paper Dagblad van het Noorden said.

The bridge, which locals hope will become a landmark in the province, may end up even longer than planned. ‘We think we can stretch it to a kilometre by connecting it to the Hoofdstraat in Blauwestad,’ project leader Reinder Lanting told the paper.

The bridge is expected to be ready for action by the end of the year.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Election watch: D66 on the rise, Yesilgöz says no
Amsterdam's PvdA branch wants to ban tourists from coffeeshops
The magic of Egypt: mummies take centre stage in Leiden
Saturday will be sunny, but the grey skies will return next week
Privacy watchdog hands €2.7 m fine to credit score firm Experian
NewsHomeEconomyElection 2025Art and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.

Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.

If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these links

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now