In West Flanders, BESIX has built a strong reputation over the years for maintaining canals and waterways through contracts with De Vlaamse Waterweg. These contracts also cover urgent interventions, including necessary repairs to vital infrastructure that must be completed within a strict timeframe. Recently, the maintenance team successfully wrapped up another urgent intervention.
In June, the team was tasked with renovating the Slijpebrug bridge in Middelkerke, a crucial part of the village's main access road. Tessa Vanhove, BESIX site manager, explained, "We had a limited timeframe. Once the works began, and the bridge was closed to all traffic, we had 54 calendar days to complete everything. It was crucial for us to work with maximum efficiency."
Prior to commencing the work, the team conducted an investigation to ensure that the bridge could be raised and blocked throughout the construction period without any complications, necessary for the installation of scaffolding. "It quickly became clear that the bridge's existing blocking points were no longer dependable due to the effects of time," Tessa explained. The team convened to brainstorm solutions. "The blocking points are located in the bridge's basement, accessible only through small manhole covers. The only viable option was to install new blocking points, customized steel structures, between the bridge and the waterway wall to manually block the bridge. This operation was ultimately carried out overnight."
Once the construction began on September 4th, the team labored tirelessly day and night, including weekends, to ensure timely completion. The steel underwent repairs, the bridge received a fresh coat of paint, and new railings were installed. The embankments supporting the bridge were replaced, the basement hatches were upgraded with waterproof ones, and the road surface along with the footpaths were resurfaced. "Amidst the ongoing work, we also had to install and connect a new dolphin," Tessa shared. "This wooden protective structure is positioned in front of the bridge to prevent ships from colliding with it. Due to limited space, we had to come up with innovative solutions here as well." To install the dolphin, the BESIX team worked partly from the water with their own pontoons, and partly from land. Via the shore, the new piles were driven to the correct position with a BESIX vibratory hammer.
Throughout the construction process, traffic was redirected to guarantee continued access to Middelkerke. Smooth traffic management was ensured during this time. Finally, on Friday, October 27, as scheduled, the first car successfully crossed the Slijpe bridge once again, under the watchful eyes of both BESIX and De Vlaamse Waterweg.
