Minister Harbers reveals names of tunnel sections in Maasdeltatunnel

As of today, the tunnel sections of the Maasdeltatunnel are known as Alara and Isabella. At the end of his working visit to the Blankenburgverbinding, Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) revealed both names on the roof of the tunnel elements.

As usual, the parts of a tunnel are given a temporary (female) name. As part of a naming competition, group 5 pupils from various primary schools in Rozenburg and Vlaardingen came up with an appropriate name. The most beautiful two were chosen from the names submitted.

Fairytale character

The winning name of the southern part was Alara ('water fairy'). The pupils of PCBS de Rank from Rozenburg chose this appropriate name because of its fairytale character. The northern section of the tunnel is now called Isabella ('devoted to God'). With this name, pupils from IKC De Schakel in Vlaardingen made the link with the fact that God split the waters of the Red Sea so that people could walk through. Now the tunnel makes it possible to go from A to B under the water.

Special place for the Minister

During his visit to the tunnel sections, Minister Harbers said that the Blankenburgverbinding holds a special place for him personally. In his time as Rotterdam alderman for Economy, Port and Environment (2007-2009), there were already plans for the realisation of a New Western Riverbank connection. The minister is delighted by the fact that now, more than 15 years later, the A24 Blankenburgverbinding is the beautiful result of all these plans.

At the beginning of May 2022, both tunnel sections were sailed to their temporary berth in Damen Verolme's Rotterdam-Botlek work port. In the past ten months, the tunnel sections have been built there in dry dock. In about a year's time, the tunnel elements will be immersed on the bottom of the Scheldt in order to complete the Maas Delta Tunnel.

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