We mostly talk about the works in Zeebrugge (Belgium) when talking about the construction of the Scheldt Tunnel at the moment, as that’s where the tunnel elements are currently being built. However, in Antwerp as well, things are moving! There, the COTU team is working on the tunnel entrances on both the left and right bank of the Scheldt. Last Thursday, 17 August, they even reached an important milestone on the left bank: the deepest point of the largest construction pit, which is located at 25 m below the ground, was reached!
At the end of August, excavation works will be completed, meaning the team will be able to start the concrete works for the tunnel entrance on the left bank. Simultaneously, two additional, smaller construction pits will be created. The first of those two will be excavated by November of this year, the third one will be finished next year.
On the right bank of the Scheldt as well, excavation works for the construction pit are well underway. In October of this year, we’ll start concrete works for the floor, walls and roof of the tunnel entrance.
In total, more than 1 million m³ of earth has to be excavated to realise the tunnel entrances!
About the Scheldt Tunnel
The Scheldt Tunnel is a 1.8-kilometre-long tunnel consisting of eight tunnel elements. Construction of these elements has started earlier this year in a dry dock in Zeebrugge. Today, structural works of the first two elements are all but finished. Expectations are that all eight elements will be ready in the second half of 2024. In 2025, the dry dock will be put under water, which will make the elements float. Then, they will be towed via the North Sea and Scheldt to Antwerp, where they will be submerged, assembled, and connected to the riverbanks.
The Scheldt Tunnel is an essential part of the Oosterweel junction, as it will close the Antwerp Ring Road on the north side. Because of this, the port and northern part of the city will be more accessible to road users. In addition, you’ll lose less time in traffic in case of accidents on the Ring Road, as traffic can be diverted more easily. Lastly, the project contributes to a better environment for hundreds of thousands of people for whom quality of life and air quality will improve significantly in the coming years.
Team COTU is in charge of the realisation of the Scheldt Tunnel. The consortium consists of the Belgian construction companies BESIX, DEME, Stadsbader Contractors and Jan De Nul.
