By rosebell
The floating process of the first section of the Scheldt Tunnel in the Zeebrugge construction dock was commenced by Lantis and contractor TM Cotu.
With 60,000 tonnes weight the eight concrete tunnel sections have been lying on the bottom of the construction dock for just over two weeks. In order to keeping the water on the bottom, each tunnel section contains five ballast tanks filled with water, whereas the tanks of the first tunnel section are now being emptied, allowing the element to float to the surface.
May 19 is the scheduled date that this section is going to start its course through the North Sea and the Scheldt river for Antwerp and there the Scheldt Tunnel will form a crucial link in the Oosterweel ring road.
The responsibility of keeping the tunnel section precisely in place during the floating process is up to cables.Initially, the tunnel section rises too far above the water when the ballast tanks are completely emptied. The tunnel section must then sink just enough so that only the roof plate remains above water.
According to TM Cotu project manager Philippe Van Gorp:”We have to control a gigantic piece of floating concrete during the floating process and then balance it correctly to the centimetre. After floating, we pour concrete as ballast in various places inside the tunnel section, so that it ultimately floats perfectly level. During this process, workers are inside the tunnel section to carry out the concrete work accurately.”
With the aim of creating an opening in the dyke of the construction dock, excavation work has also started. The time that excavators was commenced working to create the passage through was April 22 and the tunnel sections can leave the dock. The 100km journey to Doel Dock in Antwerp is expected to take around 30 hours.
The determined date for first tunnel section to be submerged is early July, while Client Lantis and contractor TM Cotu expect all eight tunnel sections to be in place by the end of the year, depending on tides and weather conditions.
Two tubes for car traffic, a 6m-wide tube for bicycles as well as an emergency tunnel, are the contents of the Scheldt Tunnel.
While 2028 is the planned date for inaugurating this tunnel to cyclists, it is due to open to vehicles in 2030. The entire Oosterweel connection will open in 2033.
