RhinelandRoute in the making requires broad management

The tunnel in the RijnlandRoute -2.5 km long- which is being worked on so hard at the moment is part of the N434. In total, we are talking about a length of about 4 kilometers, of which 1.4 kilometers is sunken.

Mobilis is part of COMOL5, the construction consortium realizing the tunnel for the province of South Holland. The tunnel is very important for the route, however, the RijnlandRoute consists of a larger whole. Besides the management of the tunnel, Mobilis also has the management of the activities around the A4 and A44 under its wings. Rick Pattipeilohy acts as Project Director RijnlandRoute, on behalf of Mobilis. We talk to him about his work within this special project.

You literally run into the employees everywhere

"The strength of Mobilis lies in the management tasks," Pattipeilohy opens the conversation. "We supply a lot of people, who spread out over the total project really work everywhere. We provide a lot of staff personnel from Mobilis and a fair share of management. You'll find our managers on the A4, A44 projects, on process management, on financial accounting, and we provide the contract manager and project management."

Lifting the drill shield. (Image: Rick Keus)

We also encounter Mobilis people at other levels. "On Main Construction, Execution, Work Preparation and Design," Pattipeilohy lists. "So we have a pretty broad presence across the entire project." When asked what a typical RijnlandRoute day looks like for him, he replied, "Every day there are consultations with our own managers and those of the client. These consultations take place both inside, when it comes to the process, and outside, when it comes to the product. We carefully monitor each step in the construction process and consult on the main points. The goal is to try to tune in whether everything is going efficiently enough and whether there are no risks. From a personal perspective, my "internal customer" is formed by the four shareholders within COMOL5. One brings me up to speed on the mainline decision making. The day-to-day management is done at work."

Tunnel installation tuning

Mobilis agrees with Croonwolter&dros, the person responsible for the tunnel installation, on the sequence of work for installing the tunnel installation. "We decide who does what, when. You can divide the work into two branches. First comes the rough work, the civil piece, such as realizing tunnel, service building and cable duct. After that, it's the installation part's turn."

To do this work, you have to bring the necessary baggage, is Pattipeilohy's opinion. "I am like a spider in the web and can only do my job because of my experience. Without that baggage, I wouldn't be able to get and keep the overview. We are talking about very many disciplines that come together within many layers. The work is complex and we started from scratch. For the four shareholders, this project means hiring a lot of manpower. Because "the train has already left," I have to see if everyone is in the right place and has the right capabilities. My job is mainly a matter of trust, because I am always between fires. Therefore, everyone must be able to blindly rely on my judgment and reporting."

Rick Pattipeilohy at the drill tunnel.

It is and always will be human work

Pattipeilohy is hugely appreciative of his work. "Huge fun to do. The most enjoyable thing is working with people. I try not to just stay on the main lines, but also like to poke deeper into the details. Good reporting throughout the column is crucial in this regard. You can think you know so much, but sometimes you just have to trust a gut feeling you have. Because of years of experience, you cannot and should not ignore that feeling. However, the facts must be checked at all times, of course!"

Pattipeilohy's role within the RijnlandRoute project may also be labeled a motivator. "As a manager, I direct and control and make adjustments where necessary. As a leader, I find the human aspect very important. Cooperation is key with me. Within the set frameworks I try to get the best out of people by giving them tasks and responsibilities that suit the person. Very quickly you know whether someone is suitable or unsuitable for a particular position."

About Mobilis

As a civil construction company, Mobilis has been working for years on leading projects providing solutions in the areas of infrastructure, water & energy and industry. Central to this is the establishment of sustainable and transparent relationships with clients and cooperating parties. Mobilis is convinced that building better starts with smart connections. Important, because everything in construction revolves around connection!

About the combination:

Mobilis is working in the COMOL5 combination on the RijnlandRoute project. Comol5 is an international contractor combination of the TBI companies Mobilis and Croonwolter&dros, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and DEME Infra Marine Contractors.