The COASTAL department started the construction of the Het Wrakhout bridge in February 2013. The bridge forms a safe connection between the Harendijke district near De Haan and the beach. Walkers, tourists and holidaymakers no longer have to risk the dangerous crossing of the coastal road and the tracks of the coastal tram.
The bridge, 83 meters long and 4.4 meters wide, consists of a steel frame with a wooden truss. More than 1000 wooden elements have been incorporated. The trusses alone contain 600 beams of different lengths. It contains about 100 cubic meters of tropical Azobé wood. The wood carries an FSC label, which means that the origin is traceable. There is also more than 30 tons of profile steel in the bridge. The Wrakhout and the surrounding works were completed at the beginning of May 2014.
The idiosyncratic architecture of Het Wrakhout achieves uninterrupted contact with the sea breeze, the blowing sand and the salty atmosphere of the beach and sea. The wooden construction looks random and chaotic and therefore refers to wreckage washed up and scattered in the dunes. The construction reconciles countless elements and functions of the coast: safety, mobility, nature, seawall, landscape experience, gentle recreation and culture. All these aspects make this a textbook example of an integrated and sustainable coastal development project.