THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A 200-meter (656-foot)-long bridge took a slow cruise through the heart of Rotterdam in the early hours of Monday morning, heading for its new home near the city’s busy port area.

The Suurhoff Bridge was floating on pontoons that were pushed and pulled by tug boats past a series of other bridges on the Maas River that bisects Rotterdam, in a meticulously planned, hours-long operation.

The existing bridges have sections that can be raised to allow ships with large cargoes to pass.

From its construction site, the new bridge, which is 20 meters (65 feet) wide and has a 40 meter (131 feet) high arch, made its way slowly toward its home alongside an existing bridge that carries traffic to and from the Maasvlakte port area.

It will be maneuvered into place over coming days before being opened to traffic to allow engineers to renovate the existing Suurhoff bridge.