Week of 4 May
1. Hard work pays off in Ghent (Belgium)
Hard work is clearly paying off on the R4WO site around Ghent, where the BRAVO4 consortium is upgrading 22 junctions along the R4 ring road. The past weeks marked several tangible milestones on site, starting in Mendonk, where the teams successfully poured the second bridge deck of the oval roundabout in a single phase. The operation required careful coordination, with three concrete pumps working simultaneously and impressive volumes of concrete and rebar used in one continuous pour.
In Mendonk too, a new cycling bridge was also successfully put in place over the Moervaart, after being pre‑assembled next to the road, and carefully lifted into position with large cranes last week-end. Once complete, the bridge will serve as an important link in the Flemish cycle highways F40 (the “Greater Ghent Cycle Ring”) and F42, which connects Ghent to Bruges via Eeklo. Both routes are designed as wide, direct cycling connections with as few stops as possible. Watch the timelapse video here on R4WO’s Instagram page to witness the full installation.
Finally, also during the long weekend of 1–3 May, colleagues from BESIX Infra made strong progress on the stretch towards Zelzate. Around 35,000 m² of asphalt was laid between Oostakker and Desteldonk as part of the structural maintenance works. After earlier phases focusing on water management and preparatory works, the first 2.8 km of the R4 Oost in this area has now been fully overhauled, including slip roads and local traffic measures.
While the works continue, these milestones are a good moment to thank the many workers, operators and subcontractors on site, as well as the colleagues within the Bravo4 consortium!
2. Safety and Quality at the heart of the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre Project (UAE)
On 30 April, our colleagues at the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre project (LO1) paused their activities to take part in a Safety and Quality Timeout at WB Theme Park. The full‑day event was dedicated to stepping back from daily operations and focusing on what truly matters: safety, quality and people.
It was an opportunity to reflect on shared standards, reinforce best practices and recognise the commitment of the teams who uphold these values on site, every day. By taking this time together, they reaffirmed a clear message: the wellbeing of our workforce is not just a priority, but a core value that guides how we work.
3. Progress at the Marsa LNG jetty in Sohar (Oman)
In Oman, our teams are making solid headway on the marine infrastructure works at the port of Sohar, part of the Marsa LNG project. The scope includes the construction of an LNG jetty, shore protection and an advanced drainage network. Piling and precast works are now largely complete, engineering activities have been finalised and offshore concreting and deck installation are well underway. Alongside this technical progress, the project recently passed an important safety milestone, reaching more than 1.5 million workhours without a lost‑time injury.
During a recent site visit, Jean‑Pol Bouharmont, Managing Director of BESIX Middle East, took the time to admire the progress on site and thank the teams for their continued hard work. A valued moment for the teams, reflecting a strong safety culture and day‑to‑day commitment, even as the context continues to evolve.
PS: the video below was filmed earlier this year, and the site has since moved well beyond what is shown here.
4. A new steel bridge deck transported from Friesland to Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
A major milestone was reached recently at Amsterdam’s De Nieuwe Meer junction with the arrival of a massive new steel bridge deck for the Schinkelbrug. The movable bridge section was transported entirely by water from Friesland to Amsterdam in a carefully planned operation that took several days.
Measuring 26 by 21 metres and weighing around 300,000 kilogrammes – comparable to a fully loaded passenger aircraft – the structure travelled via inland waterways between 23 and 29 April, with the teams closely monitoring wind conditions, clearances and bridge passages along the route. The successful transport and placement are the result of more than a year of preparation and close coordination between designers, builders and transport specialists. Congrats to all!
The steel deck will form part of bridge 9, a new movable bridge built by the TriAX consortium (BESIX, Dura Vermeer and Heijmans) as part of the wider Zuidasdok programme, one of the Netherlands’ largest infrastructure projects, aimed at improving traffic flow and multimodal connectivity around Amsterdam.
And then this... Celebrating long service in the Middle East
Earlier this week, BESIX Middle East brought colleagues together for a long service award ceremony, recognising years of experience, dedication and loyalty across the organisation. Experience at BESIX is built day after day, through hands‑on work, commitment and pride in delivering quality projects. During the ceremony, colleagues were thanked for the role they play in turning plans into reality and supporting the teams around them. A well‑deserved moment of recognition for those who continue to pass on their expertise and help shape the future of the organisation.
