The Swinging Bridge Live Cam

Origins and Early Development

The Handelskade Pontoon Bridge—popularly known as the Swinging Bridge—is a marvel of Dutch-Caribbean engineering situated along the vibrant waterfront of Punda, Willemstad. Conceived in 1888 to link the bustling port district of Punda with the residential quarter of Otrobanda, this floating bridge replaced an earlier wooden structure that had become inadequate for growing maritime traffic. Constructed during the height of Curaçao’s sugar and salt trade, the bridge was designed to swing open on a central pivot, allowing sloops, schooners, and later steamships to pass freely through St. Anna Bay. In its earliest form, the bridge comprised fourteen interconnected pontoons made of iron and wood, each supported by buoyant barrels beneath a latticed steel deck—an engineering solution blending European metalwork with local maritime craftsmanship.