Swinging Old Lady of Curaçao

The Queen Emma Bridge is called the
Suddenly, things have to move quickly / © Photo: Georg Berg

A shrill ringing shatters the Caribbean midday calm. The Queen Emma Bridge, known to the locals as the Swinging Old Lady, announces its opening. Hectic footsteps sound across the wooden planks. “Quick, quick!” shouts a mother as she hurries the last few meters to the shore with her daughter. In the middle of the 116-metre-long pontoon bridge, I get caught up in the commotion and run to the Punda side, the oldest part of Willemstad.

The stoop attendant opens and closes the Queen Emma Bridge with a powerful outboard motor. Passers-by can stay on the bridge while it is opened for ships / © Photo: Georg Berg
The stretcher-bearer opens and closes the Queen Emma Bridge with a powerful outboard motor. Passers-by can stay on the bridge while it is opened for ships / © Photo: Georg Berg

The other pedestrians lean calmly against the railing. Smartphones flash as the historic bridge, driven by a ship’s propeller, swings to one side. An orange flag would have signaled to me that the interruption would only last about 15 minutes. For medium-sized ships, the bridge only opens halfway.

A drinking water ship from Curaçao passes the half-open pontoon bridge of Willemstad. The Queen Emma Bridge is called the
A drinking water ship from Curaçao passes the half-open pontoon bridge in Willemstad. The Queen Emma Bridge is called the “Swinging Old Lady”. This pontoon pedestrian bridge from 1888 opens sideways for passing ships. Cars have been able to cross St. Anna Bay via the Queen Juliana Bridge (in the background) since 1974 / © Photo: Georg Berg

After a few yachts and a small drinking water tanker have passed by, the bridge master lets the construction slide back. The ringing stops, the barriers are lifted and the people stream back over the planks.

The Queen Emma Bridge is called the
The Queen Emma Bridge is known as the “Swinging Old Lady” and has only been used by pedestrians since 1974. This pontoon pedestrian bridge from 1888 opens to the side for passing ships / © Photo: Georg Berg

When the bridge was built on 16 pontoons in 1888, it was considered modern. It connected the two districts of Willemstad without endangering the historic buildings and at the same time made room for the ever larger ships that called at the largest natural harbor in the Caribbean.

On the Otrabanda side of St. Anna Bay, a painting shows the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge as it originally looked / © Photo: Georg Berg
The Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was regent of the Netherlands during its construction. A painting on the bank shows the Swinging Old Lady as she originally looked / © Photo: Georg Berg

In the beginning, the bridge was subject to tolls – only barefoot pedestrians paid nothing. Vehicles have been using the Queen Juliana Bridge since 1974, and the “Old Lady” remains a unique tourist attraction.

When open, the outer pontoon with the driver's cab, which is on the Punda bank when the bridge is closed, has traveled all the way to the Otrabanda bank. On the left in the background is the Lloyd Benjamin Smith Bridge, which crosses the Schottegat to the small port of Waaigat / © Photo: Georg Berg
In the open state, the outer pontoon with the driver’s cab, which lies on the Punda shore when the bridge is closed, has traveled all the way to the shore of Otrabanda. The Lloyd Benjamin Smith Bridge, which crosses the Schottegat to the small port of Waaigat, can be seen in the background on the left / © Photo: Georg Berg
The Prinses Amalia Bridge, named after Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, complements the historic bridges of Willemstad with its modern functionality and aesthetic design. It connects the districts of Scharloo and Punda across the Waaigat, a small harbor in Willemstad. The drawbridge was manufactured in Winterswijk, the Netherlands, in 2016 and assembled on site on Curaçao / © Photo: Georg Berg
The Princes Amalia Bridge, named after Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, complements Willemstad’s historic bridges with its modern functionality and aesthetic design. It connects the districts of Scharloo and Punda across the Waaigat, a small harbor in Willemstad. The drawbridge was manufactured in Winterswijk, the Netherlands, in 2016 and assembled on site on Curaçao / © Photo: Georg Berg

Further perspectives on Curaçao

While street art on weathered walls illuminates Willemstad’s street art scene, Swinging Old Lady of Curaçao portrays the historic Queen Emma Bridge. Culinary Journey through Curaçao explores the Creole-Dutch fusion cuisine and Curaçao: Island full of colors shows the characteristic color spectrum of the Caribbean island.

The research was supported by the Curaçao Tourist Board

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