The end of May marked the beginning of one of the most complex maritime operations ever undertaken in Flanders, a feat in which three of our members are participating! As part of the Oosterweel works, the first tunnel element of the new Scheldt Tunnel departed from the construction dock in Zeebrugge, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey of over 100 kilometres to Antwerp.
The operation was carried out successfully by TM COTU - a consortium including Lantis, Besix, and our members DEME and Jan de Nul - together with our member Multraship. The same operation will be organised eight times for eight tunnel elements, which were constructed in a specially designed dock in Zeebrugge. Each massive tunnel element - 160 metres long, 42 metres wide, and weighing 60,000 tonnes - travels via the North Sea and the Scheldt River to its temporary destination at the Doeldok in Antwerp.
Once there, the elements will wait for the perfect moment to be immersed and positioned at their final location in the Scheldt. This is no easy task: the Scheldt is a dynamic river with strong currents. To ensure a safe and precise immersion, the operation must take place during slack tide - a short window when the difference between low and high tide is at its smallest. This window only occurs twice a month, around the first and last quarter of the moon.
At the time of writing, three elements have already successfully reached Antwerp, with the fourth journey planned for Saturday, 21st of June. You can track the journey of the tunnel elements live via kanjersopkomst.be
