Skip to main content

Netherlands: Velsertunnel to be closed for nine months

The 60-year-old road and rail Velsertunnel in the Netherlands will be closed from now until the end of the year for major renovations. Improvements to the Velsertunnel beneath the North Sea Canal are scheduled for the road sections only, according to the Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch government’s Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, and the consortium doing the work. Rijkswaterstaat awarded a design/build/maintain contract in 2014 to Hyacint, a consortium of Besix, Dura Vermeer, and Spie, supp
April 19, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The 60-year-old road and rail Velsertunnel in the Netherlands will be closed from now until the end of the year for major renovations.

Improvements to the Velsertunnel beneath the North Sea Canal are scheduled for the road sections only, according to the Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch government’s Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, and the consortium doing the work.

Rijkswaterstaat awarded a design/build/maintain contract in 2014 to Hyacint, a consortium of Besix, Dura Vermeer, and Spie, supported by iNFRANEA. Last year the consortium completed a 3-D BIM model (Building Information Modelling) of the tunnel and of the proposed work to be done. %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Click here Visit bimontherocks.com website false http://bimontherocks.com/bim-helps-renovate-aging-tunnel/ false false%> for the presentation.

The renovated tunnel will have a 12cm higher clearance profile for trucks, new asphalt and modern technical installations, such as CCTV, fire protection equipment, traffic control systems and ventilation. Escape routes will also be fully updated.

Under the contract, the original and now iconic ventilation towers reaching skyward atop the main ventilation building must remain intact. The unusual-looking towers were listed as a national heritage site in 2014.

Around 65,000 vehicles a day use the tunnel and traffic will be diverted to the Wijkertunnel, a toll tunnel.

The Wijkertunnel is a 21-year old structure that is the first public-private partnership in the Netherlands. Three-quarters of the total €272 million construction cost was put up by a consortium of banks and insurance companies, including ING and Commerzbank. The contract was for 30 years.

Related Content

  • Zoomlion’s new tower crane offers high lifting performance
    January 6, 2017
    Zoomlion is now offering a novel new tower crane model that complies will all CE requirements. This is the first crane model Zoomlion has developed following its acquisition of a German specialist in 2011. Lifting capacity is said to be good for this class of machine, which offers high performance and productivity and also comes with an array of safety features. The crane structure is said to be extremely strong and able to cope with repeated load cycles, allowing a long working life.
  • Zoomlion’s new tower crane offers high lifting performance
    April 2, 2012
    Zoomlion is now offering a novel new tower crane model that complies will all CE requirements. This is the first crane model Zoomlion has developed following its acquisition of a German specialist in 2011. Lifting capacity is said to be good for this class of machine, which offers high performance and productivity and also comes with an array of safety features. The crane structure is said to be extremely strong and able to cope with repeated load cycles, allowing a long working life.
  • JCB completes revised skid steer line-up
    January 6, 2017
    JCB has completed its 17-model, US-built second generation skid steer and compact tracked loader line. The firm has added the 175, 190 and 205 model skid steers and the 190T and 205T CTLs to the range, all of which are vertical-lift-arm models powered by a 44.7kW engine. JCB now has a machine to cover 97% of the global skid steer market, which accounts for more than 70,000 loaders a year.
  • JCB completes revised skid steer line-up
    April 17, 2012
    JCB has completed its 17-model, US-built second generation skid steer and compact tracked loader line. The firm has added the 175, 190 and 205 model skid steers and the 190T and 205T CTLs to the range, all of which are vertical-lift-arm models powered by a 44.7kW engine. JCB now has a machine to cover 97% of the global skid steer market, which accounts for more than 70,000 loaders a year.