Construction Continues at IJmuiden Sea Lock

At the end of last year, BAM and VolkerWessels reported disappointing financial results related to the new sea lock project in IJmuiden, the Netherlands.

The reason for the higher costs, they said, was the robustness of the caissons and the need to recalculate their structural strength.

The impact of this development on the completion date of the project is now being calculated and discussed by Rijkswaterstaat and contracting consortium OpenIJ.

“We will inform you of any consequences of these developments as soon as more information becomes available,” the consortium said.

Meanwhile, the Port of Amsterdam announced that from 9 April 2018 to 4 May 2018, the IJmuiden Middle Lock will be obstructed due to modifications carried out to the fendering system and the canal bed protection of the Middenbinnentoeleidingskanaal (the inner approach channel to the Middle Lock).

“These activities are the result of the construction of the new sea lock. Ships will therefore have to use the other locks of the IJmuiden lock complex. This may cause some delay. A service technician is available 24/7 to guarantee that lock passages can continue as normal,” the port said.

When completed in 2019, the new lock chamber will be 70 meters wide, 500 meters long and 18 meters deep, making it the biggest sea lock in the world.