Belgian dredging and marine construction giant Jan De Nul has landed its first ever lock construction project in the Netherlands.
As part of the Sas van Vreeswijk (SPC) consortium, Jan De Nul will be involved in the construction of a third lock chamber at the Princess Beatrix Lock and widening of the Lek Canal near Nieuwegein for the Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands’ Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management.
Other partners in the €133m project include TDP NV (in partnership with investment companies TINC and DG Infra Yield), BESIX Group NV, RebelValley B.V. and Heijmans Nederland B.V.
The Rijkswaterstaat aims to improve passage for barges through the Lek Canal near Nieuwegein and to reduce waiting times at the Beatrix Lock. The project includes the construction of a third lock chamber, the renovation of the existing two lock chambers, the widening of the Lek Canal and the construction of lock approaches and berths in the canal.
The Lek Canal, which incorporates the Princess Beatrix Lock, connects the Amsterdam Rhine Canal to the Lek River, and is an important waterway between the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The completion of the construction works is anticipated by 2019, when the 27 year maintenance period will start.
The project company has chosen the name Sas van Vreeswijk to highlight the historical connection between locks, skippers and local residents. The village of Vreeswijk arose by virtue of the locks, located where River Vaartse Rijn joins the Lek River. In the old days, it connected the city of Utrecht to the Lek River. In the late 19th century, the Queen’s Locks were constructed, followed by the Beatrix Lock in 1938, bounding the village of Vreeswijk with shipping and the locks. Sas is a playful reference to the Belgian share in the consortium, as it is a Flemish term referring to locks or lock chambers.
By Larz Bourne
