The Marvelous Barrier that saved the Netherlands

The Afsluitdijk is a 32-kilometer dam that connects the provinces of North Holland and Friesland, separating the saltwater Zuiderzee from the freshwater IJsselmeer. This engineering marvel not only prevents flooding but has converted the inland saltwater sea into a freshwater lake. The Afsluitdijk has protected low-lying Dutch areas from storm surges since its completion in 1932. The construction of this dam enabled land reclamation in the IJsselmeer, providing space for agriculture and urbanization. The dam has a total of 25 gates that can be closed during storm conditions. The road on top of the dam offers a scenic view of the sea and lake with a constant wind that makes it a popular destination for kiteboarding. I compared it with other dams I have seen such as the Three Gorges Dam in China and found the precision of the construction and robustness of the materials to be exceptional.