First part Scheldt tunnel is surfaced in Zeebrugge (Antwerp)
The first part of the Scheldt tunnel came above the water surface in Zeebrugge. Garden Lantis reports this on Saturday. On May 19, the Tunnel Tunnel will set course for Antwerp via the North Sea and the Scheldt.
Source: Belga
Today at 12:37 PM
« We started today on driving up the first tunnel part of the Scheldt tunnel in our Bouwdok, » says contractor Philippe Van Gorp. « We have to balance a huge piece of floating concrete to the centimeter correctly. »
Since mid -April there have been eight huge tunnel parts under water in Zeebrugge in the Bouwdok. The « important links » of the Oosterweel connection come up for the first time.
« Today we are starting to drive up the first tunnel part, » Van Gorp continues. « The eight concrete tunnel parts, each larger than a football field and up to 60,000 tons heavy, are firmly on the bottom of the Bouwdok. In each tunnel part are five ballast tanks filled with water to keep them on the bottom. Now the tanks of the first tunnel part are pumped, causing the element to the water surface. »
During the rise, different cables hold the tunnel part in place. First the tunnel part is a bit too far above the water when the ballast tanks are completely emptied. The tunnel part must then sink just enough so that only the roof plate remains a bit above water.
According to the planning, a first tunnel part leaves on 19 May: a journey of more than 100 kilometers, with stops in Zeebrugge and Terneuzen. The Scheldt tunnel consists of two tubes for car traffic, a escape cooker and a bicycle cooker.
© Joris Herregods
