Tunnel parts Maasdeltatunnel successfully shipped

Ten months after the start of construction, the two parts of the Maasdeltatunnel were parked, under the supervision of tugboats, at the quay just outside the shipyard. The tunnel sections will stay here until they will be immersed in 2023 at a depth of 28 metres in the river Het Scheur.

Testing, floating, parking

The testing and floating process took several days. Before the tunnel parts were ready to be shipped, they underwent extensive testing. The first test took place in the dry dock. For this, we slowly filled the dock with water, causing the two zinc elements to float. Together with consortium partner DEME and client Rijkswaterstaat we then checked the effect of the water on the elements.

After the first test was successful, several more checks were conducted before the tunnel elements were shipped out and parked at the quay. With the shipment of the zinc elements the construction phase of the tunnel of 400 metres in length has come to an end.

The Maas Delta Tunnel is part of the A24 Blankenburgverbinding project. Commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat, Ballast Nedam is realising this project together with consortium partners DEME and Macquarie Capital. With two junctions, a land tunnel and a tunnel beneath the river Het Scheur, we aim to improve the accessibility of the Rotterdam region and contributed to the growth of the economy.