26 May 2024

Open Wervendag attracts more than 3,500 visitors to the Royers lock in Antwerp

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More than 3,500 people visited the Royers lock in the Port of Antwerp during Open Wervendag. They got to know the gigantic infrastructure project up close that will make the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Albert Canal more accessible to larger ships. Open Wervendag is an initiative of Embuild, the umbrella organization of the construction companies. The renovation of the Royers lock is a collaboration between the Department of Mobility and Public Works of the Flemish government, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the contractor consortium TM Rinkoniên.

On Sunday 26 May 2024, around a hundred Belgian construction sites opened their doors to the general public. A great opportunity to take a closer look at construction projects that are normally not accessible. As usual, Embuild kicks off Open Wervendag at one of the province's major construction sites. This year, the event started with a guided tour of the Royers lock in the Port of Antwerp, in the presence of the Flemish Minister-President, the Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works, the Federal Minister of Justice and the North Sea, the Federal Minister of the Interior and the Antwerp port alderman.

The doors were opened to the general public around 10:00 am. Visitors were given a unique view of the cofferdam and the temporary road, the gigantic construction pit AND the lock master's house. With activities for the little ones as well, it was an ideal family outing. Despite the changeable weather, with a heavy downpour around 4:00 pm, more than 3,500 visitors went down to the Royers lock to discover this impressive construction site up close.

Renovation of Royers lock strengthens inland shipping

The Royers lock connects the Scheldt to the docks and to the Albert Canal further away. It opened in 1908, making it one of the oldest locks in the port of Antwerp. The lock has not been in use for several years and has been completely renovated since October 2021. It will be considerably longer (from 180 to 235 metres in length) and wider (from 22 to 36 metres). In this way, the lock will be converted into a high-performance inland navigation lock that will handle today's modern inland vessels smoothly and safely. This will also allow transport to the Albert Canal to be increased, taking into account the increase in traffic and the scale of the vessels, but also the further development of the Port of Antwerp. In addition, a movable bascule bridge will be installed on both sides to guide vehicles and cyclists smoothly over the lock.


Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works explains: “I am very pleased with the enormous interest shown today. Open Wervendag is the ideal moment to introduce the Flemish people to this major infrastructure project that plays an important role in the modal shift of freight transport and the stimulation of inland shipping. The Royers lock is an important shipping connection between the Scheldt and the Albert Canal. With the works we are expanding the lock into a high-performance inland navigation lock that will handle modern inland vessels smoothly and safely. Every year, some 40 million tonnes of goods are transported on the Albert Canal, which is the equivalent of 2 million trucks. In addition to the earlier raising of all 62 bridges over the canal, the new lock will further increase the transport volume and in this way take as many trucks as possible off the road.”

The port alderman of the City of Antwerp and chairman of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges state: “The Royers lock was built in 1907 and made our port accessible to the largest seagoing vessels. It is an important connection between the Scheldt and the hinterland for our inland shipping. The lock needed a thorough renovation to give the new inland vessels better access to the hinterland. This impressive renovation pays tribute to the lock's namesake. Gustave Royers was responsible for the construction of the new Scheldt quays, among other things; he moved the petroleum harbour to the south of the port and constructed the Kempendok AND the Asiadok. Today, we continue to invest in the economic engine of Flanders in the same spirit. The importance of a smooth connection for inland shipping is an essential part of this.”
 

400,000 m³ of earthmoving

After the first stone was removed from the lock platform in October 2021, the construction of the cofferdam in early 2023 was the first milestone. This provided a watertight separation between the construction pit and the Scheldt, allowing the renovation to take place 'in the dry'. Through traffic has also been driving over the cofferdam since June 2023 and therefore has hardly any inconvenience due to the work in the construction pit.

We then worked hard on the phased excavation of the construction pit and the careful demolition of the old lock. This resulted in almost 400,000 m3 of earthmoving. The protected lockmaster's house in Flemish Renaissance revival style was safely placed on an 'island'. This castle will be fully preserved during the renovation and will serve as a lock control building in the future.

Last week, the first major concrete pour was carried out, which means that the first bridge cellar for the future road bridges is already taking shape. In total, 3,000 m3 of concrete was poured in 24 hours. Almost all of the concrete work is braided and poured entirely on site, one of the largest jobs in this project.

Upcoming works on the Royers lock

Now the reinforcement is being placed on the door chambers and the bypass sewers. By the construction holiday, everything will have been excavated for the construction of a tube tunnel that will run under the lock. After finishing the concrete work of the new lock, it will be flooded and the bridges and lock gates can be used. After one of the two bridges and the associated (temporary) road system comes into operation, road traffic will be able to circulate again and the cofferdams will be demolished. The lock platform will then also be finished and all installations will be installed and tested. The end of the renovation is currently planned for the end of 2028. The first barges are expected to pass through the lock towards the Albert Canal at the beginning of 2029.

Facts about the renovation

  • At the peak of construction, around 250 people will be working on the site.
  • The length of the new Royers lock (235 m) will be almost 4x the height of the MAS.
  • The width (36 m) will be as wide as an 11-lane motorway.
  • The construction site involves earthmoving (> 400,000 m³) with which almost 6,000 large sea containers could be filled.
  • The surface area of the sheet piles (24,800m²) will correspond to approximately 4 football fields. More than 150,000m³ of concrete will be pumped for the works. This means that more than 60 Olympic swimming pools can be filled.
     

About the collaboration

The Maritime Access department of the Department of Mobility and Public Works of the Flemish government is leading the renovation of the lock and is the client for the works together with Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The contractor consortium TM Rinkoniên Rechteroever, which consists of Artes Group, CIT Blaton, Boskalis, Mobilis and Stadsbader, is carrying out the renovation. Because the renovation of the Royers lock is part of the wider Oosterweel connection, there is close cooperation with Lantis.

Images: © Department of Mobility and Public Works