The tool kit for designing bridges is limited. The main concepts are suspension or chains, cables, arches, tubes and slabs. Combinations are possible and results can be spectacular. The famous Brooklyn Bridge from 1883 is an example of a suspension and cable bridge in one.

The Papendorpse brug over the canal connecting Amsterdam and the Rhine near Leidsche Rijn provides a vital link between this new town and the centre of Utrecht. For this limited tender a choice was made to combine an arch with a tubular construction. The main frame consists of curved network scales with tubular steel parts. The bridge deck is suspended from the edges of the scales with steel rods.

This reptile-like construction spans the canal in one daring leap of more than 450 feet. A broad snout on one side and an open tail at the other provide direction both in section and in plan. By dividing the road into three sections, sunlight penetrates the construction and illuminates the space above the water.

This design, combination of arch and tube, unique for the Netherlands, was not chosen. The idea is born, nonetheless.