Week of 8 April
1. Construction last segment of A16’s flyover underway (the Netherlands)
It’s been over two years since the launch of the flyover across the Terbregseplein commenced at the A16 motorway project in Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and now, the finish line is in sight! The teams of BESIX NL and its De Groene Boog joint-venture partners are currently preparing the 17th and final segment of Deck B.
This week, they're focusing on preparing the top slab for concreting next week. In just two weeks, this final segment will be launched and by mid-May, Deck B will have reached its final location! After that, only the finishing works remain, with everything expected to wrap up by the end of July.
2. Preparatory works Bospoort Bridge have commenced (Belgium)
In Halle, near Brussels (Belgium), BESIX, BESIX Infra and BESIX Unitec have started the preparatory works for the renewal of the Bospoort Bridge. This outdated, unstable bridge - which has been closed to motorised traffic for two years already - will be replaced by a 7-metre-wide steel vertical lifting bridge by September 2026. Infrastructural works are scheduled to start next month.
The works are part of a broader initiative by De Vlaamse Waterweg, which manages the Flemish waterways, to upgrade the Brussels-Charleroi Canal. The new bridge will be able to be jacked up to 1.80 metres, allowing ships with up to three container layers to pass through the canal.
3. Sod-turning ceremony Mackay Base Hospital (Australia)
Last week, construction on Mackay Base Hospital’s expansion project in Mackay, Queensland (Australia) has officially been kicked off with a sod-turning ceremony in the presence of BESIX Watpac’s CEO, Mark Baker, and Queensland’s Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services, Shannon Fentiman.
The project will create 128 extra beds for Mackay Base Hospital across surgical inpatient and medical units, maternity and birthing units, and paediatric and special care nursery units. In addition to adding a new building on site, BESIX Watpac is also in charge of a series of internal refurbishments.
4. F Tower is taking shape in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
In Abidjan (Ivory Coast), BESIX is currently building the remarkable F Tower on behalf of PFO Africa and the Ivorian Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning. Our responsibilities include overseeing the project and carrying out the structural works. The construction began in 2021, and since then, the tower has been steadily rising, gradually changing the city’s skyline.
And then this... Engineering students from KU Leuven visit BESIX projects in Abu Dhabi (Belgium - UAE)
Last week, BESIX Middle East - in collaboration with H.E. Antoine Delcourt, Belgium’s Ambassador - had the pleasure of hosting a group of civil engineering students from KU Leuven on a study trip in the United Arabic Emirates. The trip, organised by student association Statix, allowed us to highlight Belgian expertise in the UAE’s construction and engineering sector. The students toured two museums under construction by BESIX Middle East in Abu Dhabi: the Guggenheim Museum and Zayed National Museum.
