Dutch water expertise called upon in South Korea

The Gyeong-in Ara Waterway is 18km long and has a breadth of 80m. The Waterway will connect South Korea’s capital city Seoul to the coastal city of Incheon and the West Sea. The project is one of the largest water related projects in South Korea and is expected to see its opening in September 2011.

K-water, the organisation responsible for the waterway, and DHV will cooperate for the next five years and will share knowledge and expertise for this prestigious project. Among other things, the waterway requires locks at its entrance near Incheon to cope with a possible 8m spring tide difference.

The MOU was signed by Kim Jong-Hae, executive director of K-water’s Gyeong-in Ara Waterway Business Division and Wim Klomp, project director Ports, Waterways and Coastal Development, from DHV. The signing ceremony took place during the Dutch Economic Mission to South Korea and was attended by Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch Ambassador in Seoul Mr Hans Heinsbroek, and the Chairman of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, Bernard Wientjes.

DHV will employ its knowledge and experience in planning, design and construction supervision, gained in large water related projects such as Nakdong Barrier near Busan (South Korea), the storm surge barrier of St Petersburg (Russia) and the expansion of the Panama Canal Locks.

The Gyeong-in Ara Waterway is part of the ‘New Deal’ of the SouthKorean government to create more jobs and to enable economic growth. The waterway enables flood control for parts of Seoul area and improves the Korean logistics between Incheon and Seoul. It will also boost the area development alongside the waterway as well as the tourist activities.