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Project Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Prinses Beatrixsluis

Major renovation of Beatrix lock

Sector: Marine Works

For the renovation of the Beatrix Lock, BESIX paid maximum attention to the seamless integration with the landscape. Find out how the team tackled this.

Project Description

The Princess Beatrix Lock is the largest monumental inland waterway lock in the Netherlands. The lock lies on the Lek Canal, the main direct link between the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. As more and more large ships are using the Lek Canal, the Princess Beatrix Lock was in danger of becoming a bottleneck.
On behalf of the Rijkswaterstaat, the consortium Sas van Vreeswijk is constructing a third chamber, widening the canal and installing extra berths for vessels. The consortium is formed by BESIX, Heijmans and Jan de Nul.

Landscape

The monumental view of the Beatrix Lock dominates the landscape. Adding another lift tower would spoil the view. Besides, the lock is on the New Holland Waterline. This historic line of defence has been nominated for UNESCO world heritage site status. So, the landscape cannot be altered. For this reason, Sas van Vreeswijk opted to use rolling doors instead of lift gates for the new lock. This preserves the historic character of the Beatrix Lock.

Flora and fauna

The Beatrix Lock is in the middle of a nature reserve. To protect the fauna and flora, Sas van Vreeswijk involved ecologists in the design and phasing of the project. Trees that had to be dug up were replanted elsewhere in the surrounding area. Fish, frogs, bats and other creatures were captured and released in nearby locations.

Project details

Project name

Prinses Beatrixsluis

Category

Locks

Contract type

Design, Build, Finance & Maintenance

Location

Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Stakeholder(s)

BESIX Nederland, Franki Foundations, Franki Grondtechnieken, Martello Piling

Client

Rijkswaterstaat

Building Period

2016 - 2019

Project Website

https://www.rws.nl/water/projectenoverzicht/aanleg-3e-kolk-beatrixsluis-en-verbreding-lekkanaal/index.aspx