By rosebell
In order to advancing the maintenance and renovation of the Sluiskil tunnel, Westerscheldetunnel, the entity operating the Westerschelde tunnel and Sluiskil tunnel, has awarded a multi-year contract and a consortium comprising Dutch construction and infrastructure company BAM Infra Netherlands, whereas the TBI companies Croonwolter&dros and Mobilis is the responsible of this contract.
Including both daily maintenance and end-of-life replacements to maintain the tunnel safe and accessible,the maintenance contract valid from 23 May 2025 to 13 March 2033.
It includes both preventive and corrective multi-year maintenance on the Sluiskil Tunnel complex, including the surrounding aerial.
Also, replacing the asphalt and make several renovations to the technical installations and the civil parts of the tunnel will be up to the BAM-TBI consortium.
According to NV Westerscheldetunnel managing director Harald Schoenmakers: “I am very pleased with the outcome of the tender. We know the parties as very knowledgeable and have full confidence in the cooperation.”
Linking Westerscheldetunnel in the south to the E34 motorway in the north, Sluiskil is a twin-bore tunnel that runs beneath the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal in the Netherlands.
According to BAM, Sluiskil plays an important role in the economic growth of the region, as it increases the flow and accessibility of companies and homes in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
Considering that the daily flow of freight traffic to and from the port of Antwerp in average is 21,000 vehicles through the tunnel, the tunnel facilitates this flow.
The contract award extends Westerscheldetunnel’s relation with the BAM-TBI consortium, which has been responsible for maintaining the Sluiskil Tunnel since its opening in 2015.
Also, the maintenance of the Westerschelde Tunnel since 2013 was up to Croonwolter&dros, Mobilis, and BAMn and BAM-TBI consortium has selected sustainable options for the contract, such as Low Energy Asphalt Concrete (LEAB) and the reuse of materials.
BAM/TBI consortium project manager Jarno Alting said: “We bring together the knowledge and expertise of BAM and TBI to keep the Sluiskil tunnel safely and sustainably available 24/7 in the coming years. In one team, we effectively bring all disciplines together in an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to anticipate this maintenance and renovation task. With the award of the maintenance and renovation of the Sluiskil tunnel, we refine even more our knowledge and expertise in this area and we also put our expertise on a sustainable approach.”
