An operation will begin today to refloat a section of the Scheldt Tunnel after sand accumulation disrupted the immersion process two weeks ago.
Client Lantis and contractor TM Cotu will retrieve the 60,000-ton section from the immersion trench in the Scheldt River and return it to Doel Dock. The operation is expected to take 48 hours.
The tunnel section has been on the riverbed since an unexpected sand accumulation interrupted the immersion process two weeks ago.
It will remain in Doel Dock until the next neap tide window and is expected to be re-immersed on September 15.
“Despite thorough preparations and extensive simulations, such a sand accumulation in a highly dynamic river like the Scheldt remains an unpredictable natural phenomenon. Immersion remains an interplay of precision technology and nature,” said Lantis spokesperson Laure Stuyck.
“Retrieving the immersed tunnel section is a very complex operation but, in this case, it is the safest and most reliable way to position the tunnel section correctly. Our priority is that the tunnel structure is installed exactly according to the design requirements to guarantee quality and safety at all times.”
Meanwhile the sixth section has arrived in Antwerp after being towed from in the construction dock Zeebrugge. The first tunnel section was submerged in early July.
The 1.8km-long Scheldt Tunnel is part of the Oosterweel Link, a ring road around Antwerp designed to improve links to the city and its port.
