The Netherlands, explained in English · Saturday 31 October 2026Sat 31 Oct

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Society

New Rotterdam bridge will spare cancer patients a busy road

A footbridge placed at Erasmus MC on Saturday will link the oncology department with a family house for patients' relatives. The municipality expects it to open in mid-December.

The Daniel den Hoedbrug, a new pedestrian bridge, was placed on Saturday at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. It connects Familiehuis Daniel den Hoed with the hospital's cancer (oncology) department. Construction began in September last year.

Cancer patients and their families will no longer have to cross a busy road to get between the two buildings.

The bridge cannot be used yet. It will be fitted out over the coming weeks. The municipality expects it to open in mid-December.

The cancer charity KWF contributed €1.1m to the bridge. Much of that money was raised during the Rotterdam Marathon in 2023.

The family house offers relatives of cancer patients a temporary "second home". Patients can also stay there overnight.