The bridge was built for the Oude Rijksweg, a former part of the A2 motorway that connected 's-Hertogenbosch to Utrecht.

These are not meant for passing ships, but for giving way to the Meuse water when the river rises.

It is therefore much wider than required for the current use of the bridge, which is as a two-lane regional road.

Here the pontoon bridge would be connected thus that it could rise and fall with the level of the water.

[7] A high level of the Meuse could also lead to storing the pontoon bridge.

In November 1861 one of the pontoons was damaged by a steam powered vessel of the Rotterdam-Venlo shipping line.

In June 1862 some of the pontoons of the bridge sank due to strong currents.

In 1875 the pontoon bridge was caught by the floating ice, with parts ending up in Bokhoven and Ammerzoden.

[16] In 1904 the Bergse Maas was opened, and the level of the Meuse near Hedel dropped significantly.

As a consequence, the pontoon bridge could no longer reach the bridgeheads at all times.

The double access ramps are visible on the photo of the construction of Hedel Bridge.

[21] In the 1920s the Dutch government started to think about adapting the road network for cars.

The three pontoon bridges at Hedel, Vianen and Zaltbommel did not fit in this plan, because the weather often prevented their use.

[23] Therefore, the national motorway plan called for a high solid bridge over the Meuse.

The new bridge would of course lead to a strong increase in traffic on the road from 's-Hertogenbosch to the north.

At each side of the deck there was a 2.50 m wide heightened path for cyclists and pedestrians.

[29] In June 1940 a contract to remove the demolished spans of Hedel bridge was awarded to Nederlandse Dok Maatschappij (NDM).

[31] In August 1941 reconstruction of the Brabant pier of the bridge was awarded to Amsterdamse Aannemings Maatschappij for 66,000 guilders.

Prinses Irene Brigade established a bridgehead on the other side of the Meuse at Hedel during operation Orange.

Meanwhile, the pontoon bridge often led to severe delays when it had to be opened for shipping.

[35] In October 1947 Hedel Bridge was expected to be ready for possible reopening before the end of the year.

[1] Fort Crèvecoeur on the south bank of Hedel Bridge is a depot and exercise terrain of the engineers of the Dutch army.

In 2012 the engineers wanted to lay a pontoon bridge to Hedel as an exercise, but did not get permission from Rijkswaterstaat.