A historic 18th-century bridge has been discovered during work on an old canal on the Sint-Katelijnestraat in the centre of Mechelen (Antwerp Province). The bridge dates back to 1772 and the city authorities want to do all they can to ensure that it is kept visible to the general public.
For the past 15 years the city authorities in Mechelen have been uncovering the old “vlieten” (old canals) that had been covered over during the 20th century. During work on the “vliet” in the Sint-Katelijestraat, workers discovered a stone bridge.
The Mechelen City Alderman responsible for public works Patrick Princen (Green) told VRT News that “Remnants of a bridge have been found in the past but here the entire bridge is visible”.
“The year 1772 has also been beautifully chiseled into the arch, which makes this a unique find. 1772 is a symbolic year for our city because that's when the Mechelen Academy of Arts was founded.”
Visible to the general public
The city authorities are now looking at the feasibility of keeping the bridge exposed so that it can be viewed by all. The city alderman responsible for Heritage Greet Geypen (liberal) told VRT News that “This bridge is a tangible reminder of our city's past. It would be irresponsible to simply let it disappear again”.
The feasibility of a spit-level solution with a small staircase is currently being examined.
“This would allow the bridge head displaying the year 1772 to remain visible and water would be able to flow under the bridge again”, Mr Geypen added. According to the city authorities, it is impossible to move the bridge to another location.
Work on the “vliet” on the Sint-Katelijnestraat is expected to be completed by the end of March.