N°03 · Field note · Willemstad

The Queen Emma Bridge: openings, closures and the free ferry

The floating bridge between Punda and Otrobanda swings aside for ships, and in 2026 left the bay for an electric refit. Here is how to cross either way.

Curaçaooo Field NotesPublished 17 October 2026Updated 18 October 20266 minute read

Poster illustration of Willemstad's colourful gabled waterfront facades above a dark blue bay, a long pontoon bridge swung out diagonally across the water, a black ship in the channel and a small ferry with passengers crossing in the foreground. — Editorial illustration.

Update, 18 October 2026. The bridge is back. Reports from late September say the renovated bridge returned to its place between Punda and Otrobanda: the Curaçao Chronicle on 22 September and Breakbulk News on 29 September. The Curaçao Ports Authority had not posted its own reopening notice on its news page when we checked on 18 October.

Willemstad is two towns facing each other across a narrow channel: Punda on one side of St. Anna Bay, Otrobanda on the other, and the painted Handelskade looking across the water at both. Joining them, at water level, is the Queen Emma Bridge: a floating walkway that swings out of the way whenever a ship needs the channel. Crossing it is one of the small rituals of a day in the capital. Knowing when it is open, when it is not, and what to do instead saves a lot of standing around.

This note explains how the bridge works, how the free ferry fits in, and what the 2026 renovation changed. Every date comes from the Curaçao Ports Authority, which runs the bridge, or from published reporting, and is linked where it appears.

The Swinging Old Lady, in brief

The bridge was built in 1888 and named after Queen Emma of the Netherlands. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, it rests on 16 floating pontoon boats. Its nickname, the Swinging Old Lady, is used by the Ports Authority itself. It is about 167 metres long.

For much of its life it was not a free crossing. The tourist board notes that a toll was charged from 1901 to 1934, with one exception: people crossing barefoot did not pay. Since the Queen Juliana Bridge opened on 30 April 1974, carrying traffic high above the harbour, the Queen Emma Bridge has been for pedestrians only.

How an opening works

St. Anna Bay is the entrance to Curaçao's harbour, and the pontoon bridge lies right across it. When a ship has to pass, the bridge swings on its hinge until it lies along the shore, leaving the channel clear; the pivot is on the Otrobanda side. The swing itself takes a few minutes, and how long the bridge stays open depends on the traffic in the channel.

There is no fixed public timetable for openings, because they follow the ships. That is why the island keeps a second way across.

Two panel diagram titled Two ways across St. Anna Bay. In the first, a pale bridge spans a blue channel between an ochre shore and a terracotta shore, with three walking figures on it. In the second, the bridge lies along one shore, a dark ship sits in the channel and a dashed line shows a small red ferry crossing. — Editorial illustration. Diagram, not to scale.

The free ferry

While the bridge is open, a small ferry known as the ponchi carries pedestrians across the bay free of charge. It is what you will use any time you arrive at the bridge to find it swung aside. The crossing itself is short, so most of your time goes on waiting for the next boat.

The ferry also takes over completely when the bridge is out of service for maintenance, as it did in 2021 and again in 2026.

The 2026 renovation

In 2026 the bridge left the bay altogether. The Ports Authority announced that it would be out of service from Sunday 2 August until Friday 25 September, and on 3 August it was disconnected and towed to the authority's workshop.

According to the Curaçao Chronicle's report of that day, the work focused on the inside and underside of the structure: a new electrically powered pontoon system, new cables, and upgraded transmission, electrical and control systems, lighting and safety equipment, while keeping the bridge's historic appearance. The Ports Authority published its own project page, Queen Emma Bridge: Electrification Project, on 11 September 2026. During the closure, the Ports Authority said ferries would run around the clock until the bridge returned.

On 22 September the Curaçao Chronicle reported that the bridge was back in its normal position linking Punda and Otrobanda and that its new systems had been tested, with workers on site saying it could reopen to pedestrians that day, ahead of the announced date. The old diesel engines were replaced by an electric drive connected to the Aqualectra grid, with a diesel generator as backup, and the bridge now opens and closes with virtually no engine noise. On 29 September Breakbulk News reported that the contractor, Holland Shipyards Group, had completed the electrification and that the bridge had returned to its position, reconnecting the two sides of Willemstad.

What we could not confirm. We did not find an exact reopening date from the Ports Authority itself, so the reopening rests on the two reports above. To check the bridge on the day, contact the Curaçao Ports Authority on +599 9 434 5999 or info@curports.com. Either way, you will get across: if the bridge is not there, the ferry is.

Earlier closures, for perspective

Long closures are not new. In 2021 the Ports Authority took the bridge partly apart to replace its main beam. Work began on 22 March, took somewhat longer than planned, and the bridge made its first swing again at the end of April, according to the Curaçao Chronicle. During that closure, too, pedestrians used the ferries between Punda and Otrobanda.

Practical notes for crossing

Budget a few extra minutes. If you have a table booked or a tour leaving from the other side, allow for a bridge opening or a ferry wait.
On foot only. No cars on the Queen Emma Bridge. If you are driving between the two sides, you will use the Queen Juliana Bridge.
Look back from the middle. From the bridge, or from the ferry, you see the Handelskade facades across the water at their best.
Ferries are free. No ticket, no fare, as the tourist board notes.

Plan the rest of your visit

The bridge connects the two halves of the old town that our front page calls the Old Town and the Painted Quay; see the collection for both, and Good to know for the island's essentials. If you are flying in, read our step by step guide to the Digital Immigration Card first. And when you are ready to leave town for a day, the west end is waiting: the Christoffel National Park hike in the morning, and Shete Boka National Park after.

Good to know

Is the Queen Emma Bridge open again?

Reports say yes. After its 2026 renovation the bridge was back in its place between Punda and Otrobanda by late September 2026, according to the Curaçao Chronicle on 22 September and Breakbulk News on 29 September. On 18 October 2026 the Curaçao Ports Authority had not yet published its own reopening notice, so if your plans depend on it, check with the Ports Authority.

Is the ferry across St. Anna Bay free?

Yes. When the bridge swings open for ships, a small ferry known locally as the ponchi carries pedestrians between Punda and Otrobanda free of charge.

Why does the Queen Emma Bridge open?

It is a floating pontoon bridge across the entrance to the harbour. To let ships in or out, it is swung aside so that it lies along the shore, which takes a few minutes.

Can you drive across the Queen Emma Bridge?

No. Since the Queen Juliana Bridge opened in 1974, the Queen Emma Bridge has been for pedestrians only. Cars cross the bay on the Juliana Bridge, high above the water.

How old is the Queen Emma Bridge?

It was built in 1888 and named after Queen Emma of the Netherlands. Locals call it the Swinging Old Lady.

Sources

Checked on 18 October 2026. Hours, fees and rules can change without much notice, so confirm with the official source before you go.