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As part of the widening of the A27, existing traffic gantries are being dismantled, renovated, modified, and re-preserved so they can eventually be put back into service on the renovated stretch of highway. Of the 38 traffic gantries being installed along the route, only twelve are completely new. Some of these renovated traffic portals also come from Birkhoff Staalwerken’s own inventory.
“On behalf of ALSÉÉN, we are handling the entire portal construction process over a 40-kilometer stretch, including the construction of the new foundation with pile foundations and footings,” says Henk van den Ochtend, director of Birkhoff Staalwerken. Most of the foundation work will be carried out during the summer road closure. “It’s precisely during a closure like this that you can make huge strides. You work without traffic around you, which greatly improves safety for our people and allows you to work much more efficiently. For road users, this means temporary inconvenience, but in the end, it saves a tremendous amount of time.”
A notable feature of the A27 project is the significant role played by reuse. “A number of girders were salvaged from sections 1 and 2 of the A27, which were previously renovated,” says Henk. After being carefully dismantled, they are modified, re-preserved, and then reused on sections 6, 7, and 8. In addition, we’re also using girders from our own renovation inventory. This not only reduces material usage but also shortens delivery times.”
In addition to the renovated gantries, Birkhoff Staalwerken is also manufacturing several new gantries. Their dimensions vary. The new gantries have a span of about twenty meters, while the renovated ones range from twenty to fifty meters. The largest gantry in this project measures 61.5 meters. “That sounds impressive, but we’ve also built structures measuring 84 meters,” says Henk with a laugh. “So 61.5 meters is actually still quite manageable.”
Now that the foundations for several gantries are complete, the focus is shifting to the assembly of the superstructure. “We began installing the first gantries in early September. In the weeks leading up to that, they were fully prepared in our workshop and fitted with background screens, camera mounts, cable assemblies, and mounting points. This allows the traffic signals to be connected immediately after installation,” Henk explains.
Efforts to improve efficiency are also ongoing throughout the construction process. “When a new or renovated portal is installed, an existing portal is removed immediately whenever possible. By combining work activities, the necessary traffic control measures are kept to a minimum, and valuable construction time is saved here as well.” According to Henk, this is also the project’s biggest challenge. “The entire project will take about two years, but it’s precisely during the road closures that you have to get as much done as possible. That requires tight scheduling, sufficient capacity, and perfect coordination between all disciplines.”
According to Henk, a key USP of Birkhoff Staalwerken is that virtually all work is carried out in-house. “From engineering and production to blasting, preservation, renovation, assembly, and cable installation: the entire process is carried out under one roof,” he explains. “That makes us flexible and enables us to repurpose existing gantry cranes to a high standard.”
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GS Birkhoff Staalwerken B.V. was founded as Birkhoff Staalbouw in Pernis in 1920. Over the years, Birkhoff has developed into an internationally operating company in which engineering, production and services have reached a high level. GS Birkhoff Staalwerken B.V. has built a renowned name in the field of traffic gantries, steel structures and assembly work [...].
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