Terwestbrug

Terwestbrug is a historic drawbridge spanning the Moervaart canal in Moerbeke, right on the edge of Lokeren in East Flanders. This small iron structure, built during the interwar period, belongs to a cluster of similar lifting bridges scattered across Moerbeke's polder landscape — a typology not found anywhere else in the Waasland region.

Where does this bridge come from?

The bridge was built between the two world wars as part of a network of crossings over the Moervaart, a drainage and navigation canal that has shaped the polder landscape here for centuries. Its lifting design allowed small vessels to pass without the need for a tall, fixed span — a practical solution suited to the flat, water-crossed terrain around Moerbeke.

What happened to it during the war?

Terwestbrug did not survive the Second World War unscathed. The bridge suffered war damage and, shortly after the fighting ended, around 1945, it was repaired and partly rebuilt. That postwar restoration stayed close enough to the original design that the bridge still stands today as a representative example of the pre-1940 iron lifting bridge type.

Why is it protected?

In 2001, Terwestbrug was granted heritage protection status. It is not an isolated case: the bridge is part of a wider group of five protected interwar bridges around Moerbeke, which also includes the Dambrug and the Coudenbornbrug. All of them remain in their original locations and are now regarded as some of the last surviving traces of this part of Waasland's industrial past, from an era when local waterborne trade and small-scale river transport played a real role in the region's economy.

What does it look like today?

It is a modest, functional iron structure with no decorative flourishes, its plain, technical character typical of engineering from the late 1920s and early 1930s. The bridge still performs its original function as a canal crossing, though its significance today rests mainly on the rarity of the surviving construction type rather than on heavy transport use.

Why visit?

For anyone interested in Flanders' industrial history and its water engineering heritage, Terwestbrug offers a chance to see, in person, a bridge typology that has almost entirely vanished from the region's landscape. It also serves as a starting point for exploring the broader polder heritage of Moerbeke — the network of canals, locks and crossings that shaped daily life here for decades.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Terwestbrug located? The bridge is in Moerbeke, right next to Lokeren, spanning the Moervaart canal.

When was it built? It dates from the interwar period and was repaired and partly rebuilt around 1945 after suffering war damage.

Is Terwestbrug a protected heritage site? Yes, it received protected monument status in 2001, as part of a group of five similar interwar bridges in the Moerbeke area.

How does it differ from other bridges nearby? Terwestbrug represents a type of small iron lifting bridge found almost exclusively in Moerbeke's polder landscape — a typology that has not survived elsewhere in Waasland in comparable form.

Is the bridge still in use? Yes, it still functions as a canal crossing, though today its main value lies in its historical and heritage significance rather than in heavy transport use.