Long-held noise barrier along A20 in Maassluis

Last fall a start was made to replace the old wooden screen on the embankment along the A20 with a sustainable noise barrier. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also adds ecological value. And most importantly, it protects against the ever-increasing noise pollution from the highway.

The screen, some 170 meters long and 6.5 meters high, was commissioned by the municipality of Maassluis and erected by Kokosystems from Poeldijk together with Van Schie Groep from Mijdrecht. Arjan Kick, project manager at Kokosystems: "The prefab Kokowall and Kokowall HA-Minwool Sound Screen is a construction with a high sound insulation and absorption value. The noise barriers have a row of natural coconut tubes on one or both sides. In the case of the Kokowall HA-Minwol Sound Screen, the screen is finished on one side with a layer of absorbent mineral wool, finished with several layers of mesh. The noise screen is ideally suited to be overgrown with climbing plants." The Kokowall® system is a Dutch invention and is produced entirely in the Netherlands. "It has a high score in EMVI tender processes," adds Kick.

Part Two

Next summer the second part of the screen (Kastanjedal-Doornenbuurt section) will follow along a residential area. There the noise barrier is about 510 meters long and 3.5 meters high and will be placed on top of the existing noise barrier. The appearance is the same so that over the entire length (about 700 meters) an unambiguous image is created. But more importantly, the 'green' sound barrier takes away the noise from the highway directly, so that residents in the area can benefit."

Optimal cooperation

"The run-up to construction may have taken a long time, but the construction itself went very smoothly," Kick says. Among other things, he refers to Lely's constructive attitude. They not only made the land available, allowing the allotments to be preserved as much as possible, but also made it possible for the work to take place alongside the construction work for the second phase of the Lely Campus. "A good cooperation between the Municipality of Maassluis, Kokosystems, Van Schie, Lely and last but not least the board and the gardeners of allotment association Vluchtheuvel contributed to the fact that everything went to everyone's satisfaction."

Floriade sound barrier construction

In addition to this project, Kokosystems is busy with the construction of a noise screen on the embankment along the A6 near the Floriade site in Almere. Kick: "A screen no less than 690 meters long and 3 meters high, with Kokowall on both sides and equipped with extra absorption on the sound side. A unique project, in which the international event, the World Horticultural Expo Floriade, is ultimately part of the total area development. In fact, Dura Vermeer will continue to develop it for housing afterwards." Kick concludes, "It makes sense that a natural sound barrier will be realized. It's fantastic that we get to do that!"