SUMMARY
- Official opening of Roskilde bridge, named Crown Princess Mary´s Bridge
- First cantilevered bridge to be built in Denmark since 1970
- Works took 36 months, completed 3 months ahead of schedule
- Construction within a Natura 2000 zone, subject to strict environmental restrictions
- Neighbouring a residential area east of the fjord and a summerhouse area west of the fjord both requiring strict control of noise, vibration, light and dust in addition to traffic restrictions
The bridge over Roskilde Fjord, named Crown Princess Mary´s Bridge, was officially opened by her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark on 28 September, and will be opened to traffic on the 30th. This civil engineering work, completed 3 months ahead of schedule, is BESIX’s first project in Denmark. The Danish highways authority “Vejdirektoratet” awarded the €133 million contract to RBAI, a joint venture between BESIX, Rizzani de Eccher (Italy) and Acciona Infraestructuras (Spain) in 2016. People of 19 different nationalities worked together on this complex site.
Technical prowess
The bridge is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Denmark and is the country’s first cantilevered bridge to be built since 1970. The contract covers a four-lane highway 8.2km long, including a 1.4km bridge over Roskilde Fjord, as well as 11 smaller civil engineering works (bridges, tunnels and wildlife crossings), 1km of retaining wall and 3km of acoustic barrier. The project aims to reduce traffic congestion and provide an alternative to the bridge currently available, a bascule bridge built across the fjord in 1935.
LEAN methods speeded up progress
All stakeholders working on the project were actively involved in LEAN sessions. This collaborative approach involved sharing the project requirements and objectives and constantly improving processes to optimise productivity. Communications were based on mutual trust and transparency, which in turn improved decision-making by reducing time wastage and subsequent changes.
The execution methods also played a key role in delivering the project ahead of schedule. For example, a project specific ‘launching gantry’ was used to install the bridge deck. This horizontal crane allowed the deck segments to be fitted one by one. The use of several production lines for the precast segments also contributed to a faster execution.
An environmental challenge
The highway and bridge cross a site which has been declared an EU Natura 2000 zone, with a network of breeding and nesting sites that provide a haven for some of the most valuable and endangered species and habitats in Europe. In particular, the fjord zone is home to several bird species, as well as a protected aquatic plant and eelgrass, and is a major refuge for waterfowl. Building here was therefore subject to strict environmental and social requirements, designed both to conserve the fjord’s natural beauty and habitats and minimise undesirable impacts on the local community. Particular attention was paid to the residential areas near the construction site, and the difficult road and marine access, with measures taken in particular to limit noise and dust. Noise and vibration were monitored on a regular basis and their impact limited. Noisy work was undertaken at times when migratory birds were not on the fjord, to avoid disrupting their nesting behaviour. Equally, in order to conserve the aquatic environment, adequate selection of the construction methods and close monitoring during execution ensured that the sediments did not negatively affect the eelgrass.
The excellent collaboration and close, ongoing dialogue between the many participants proved key to concluding the project successfully, within this uniquely challenging area.
Erik Stoklund Larsen, Director, Danish Road Directorate: “RBAI JV have since the tender process and during the whole construction period acted as a professional contractor for the employer. The collaboration during the years has been in a good tone and with full satisfaction. I would like to thank the representatives for the three companies in the RBAI JV for their contribution to achieving such a tremendous result at the Fjord Link project. It is a spectacular project which will benefit the Danish society for many years to come.”
Nic De Roeck, Area Manager Europe, BESIX International: “The achievement of this complex project before the contractual milestone and in such high quality would not have been possible without the open and constructive cooperation we enjoyed with the Danish Road Directorate (DRD) and all the other national and international parties involved. At BESIX, we are all extremely proud we could contribute to one of the finest new landmarks in one of Denmark’s most beautiful sceneries. We are looking forward to pursue this strong and successful partnership with DRD in the near future.”
ABOUT BESIX
BESIX Group is a global player and the leading group in Belgium in the field of construction, concessions and real estate development. Active since 1909, the group is based in Brussels and operates in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Canada and Australia. Its achievements include the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest tower, the buildings of the European Parliament in Brussels, and the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza pyramids plateau. BESIX is an international reference in marine works, buildings, environment, sports and leisure facilities, industrial buildings, road, rail, and airport sectors.
BESIX has a decades-long track record in bridge infrastructure in Europe (Herstal viaducts in Belgium, Theemswegtracé and Nijkerkerbrug in the Netherlands) and the Middle-East (Shindagha Bridge in Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Bridge and Al Maryah Bridges in Abu Dhabi).
In the environmental field, BESIX took part in the construction of the Carpe Diem tower in the Paris district of La Défense, the first high-rise building in the world to obtain both LEED Platinum and HQE certification. It also helped build the world's first energy-neutral tunnel in the Netherlands. In Western Europe, the group and its subsidiaries construct many technologically advanced buildings, including passive and ‘smart’ ones. In the Middle East, BESIX is also known for building, managing and operating leading infrastructures for waste recycling and water treatment.
Its in-house Engineering Department enables BESIX to realize unique, highly complex projects, particularly in terms of technical and environmental aspects. On each of its sites, BESIX pursues excellence in terms of quality and safety and in reducing its environmental footprint. Faithful to its purpose: Excel in creating sustainable solutions for a better world.
For further information: www.besix.com