New temporary road over offerdam limits disruption to works

Cofferdam: essential for lock renovation and port accessibility
Over the past few months, a lot of hard work went into building the cofferdam. That dam is essential not only for the renovation of the lock, but also for the accessibility of the port. The cofferdam provides a watertight separation between the construction pit and the Scheldt River. This will allow the work on the lock to be carried out "in the dry". Starting tonight (7 p.m.), traffic to and from the port will temporarily pass over that dam, instead of the lock. Thus, for the next few years, road traffic will experience little to no disruption from the earth, concrete and steel work that will take place in the more than 20-meter-deep construction pit.

Bike ride to new roundabout at Antwerp Maritime Academy
A delegation comprising representatives of all partners (the Department of Mobility and Public Works, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Lantis, the Rinkoniên contractor consortium and City of Antwerp) were the first to cross the new road. They cycled to the roundabout built by Lantis for the Oosterweel interchange near the Antwerp Maritime Academy and the Noordkasteel, then returned to the Royers Lock. A delegation of students from the nearby Antwerp Maritime Academy (Higher Maritime Academy) also participated.

For traffic to and from the port, the roundabout makes the connection between Oosterweelsteenweg and the temporary roads around Royers Lock. Lantis will begin construction of the Oosterweel interchange in late 2023. To make that possible, cables and pipes will be moved, greenery cleared, the Samgadok filled in and yards landscaped.

Upcoming work on the Royers Lock
The cofferdam forms a watertight seal to the construction pit. This was an important condition for starting pumping to lower groundwater. The plan is to excavate the construction pit to ground level by the end of this year. In that construction pit, the old lock will be completely demolished after which a new longer and wider lock will be built. If everything goes as planned, most of the old lock will be demolished by the end of 2023 and the first concrete work will begin in 2024.

The lock master's house will be on an "island" by the end of this year. As a result, the yard is going to look visually different. The work will then become much more visible. The intention is to get the building on an insulated island of diaphragm walls, which is a huge technical challenge and requires substantial financial investments. In this renovation, the preservation of protected heritage is a major concern. The small castle in neo-Flemish Renaissance style will be fully preserved during the renovation and will serve as a lock control building in the future.

About the cooperation
The construction of the Oosterweel interchange and the renovation of the Royers Lock are part of the broader Oosterweel link, with Lantis acting as contracting authority. The Maritime Access Division of the Department of Mobility and Public Works (Flemish government) is taking the lead in renovating the lock. Aannemersconsortium TM Rinkoniên Rechteroever, consisting of Artes Group, CIT Blaton, Boskalis, Mobilis and Stadsbader, is in charge of building the interchange and renovating the Royers Lock. This is to ensure maximum alignment between the two construction sites. The Flemish government and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the clients for the lock's renovation, are funding most of the 288 million euros. The City of Antwerp and Water-Link are also making smaller financial contributions. Lantis is taking on the financing of the Oosterweel interchange.

Thorough coordination between partners
"We have to coordinate with a lot of parties for these works, but that is going well. Cooperation is going very well," says project manager Sofie Nullens of the Department of Mobility and Public Works. "Because of the strong technical links with the projects at Oosterweel, it is important for us to continuously interface. We are extremely grateful to our partners in the area, especially the Antwerp Maritime Academy (Hogere Zeevaartschool), for their constructive attitude. In recent months, there was certainly noise pollution due to the piling required for the construction of the cofferdam."

Livestream and timelapse video
Since April, work on the Royers Lock can also be followed live - with a slight delay - on the Royers Lock web page. There, you will find a link to the livestream as well as a monthly timelapse video. Cameras are set up on the observation tower at the site containers and on the lock master's house located at the centre of the construction yard.

The livestream, timelapse video and more information about the Royers Lock works can be found on the website.