N3 Papendrechtsebrug closes for nine months: detour or take the free ferry

From 17 July through 21 April 2027, the N3 Papendrechtsebrug between Papendrecht and Dordrecht is fully closed. Commuters should choose the A15/A16 detour or use the free ferry for walking and two-wheel travel.

• The movable bridge equipment has reached the end of its technical life. Rijkswaterstaat will replace the deck, lifting machinery and control systems and strengthen the chamber walls and pier, explaining why the closure lasts nine months.
• Free ferries link Kerkeplaat in Dordrecht with Visschersbuurt and Huys de Merwede in Papendrecht, running about every ten minutes at peak times for pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, scooters and mobility scooters.
• Drivers should expect 30-60 extra minutes via A15/A16. From 22:00 on 24 July to 05:00 on 27 July, an additional southbound N3 closure from the A15 toward the bridge makes a fresh route check essential.

Hokimi field note: If this bridge is part of a regular commute, test the ferry route outside rush hour first; knowing the correct landing is safer than following navigation for the first time on Monday morning.