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K-Boringen, the (micro)tunnelling division of APK Group in Belgium, and STADSBADER CONTRACTORS are joining forces to build a new pipeline tunnel under the Visartsluis in Zeebrugge. The project, commissioned by the Flemish government’s Department of Mobility and Public Works (MOW), will begin in November and last two years. An informational session for local residents will be held on September 14.
Commissioned by the Maritime Access Division of the MOW Department, K-Boringen (APK Group) and STADSBADER CONTRACTORS will begin work in November on a new utility tunnel under the Visartsluis. The tunnel will bundle all cables and pipes (electricity, gas, water, and telecommunications) underground. Thanks to this initiative, the underground utility infrastructure will be organized and efficient, and there will be room for future developments and growth of the port.
During the first year, STADSBADER CONTRACTORS will primarily use its expertise in civil engineering to lower the shafts—with outer diameters of 9.7 and 13.5 meters—to a depth of 36 meters.
This isn’t the company’s first time sinking shafts. The depth and the challenges involved make this project special for them as well. Pieterjan Pertz, Project Manager at STADSBADER CONTRACTORS: “Sinking shafts in phases at such a depth is unique in Belgium. The various soil layers we encounter each require a different approach. Thorough research and meticulous planning are therefore central to this project. We are confident that this will once again have a positive impact on the Zeebrugge area.”.
K-Boringen will then construct the tunnel. The company will build the approximately 145-meter-long tunnel at a depth of 30 meters. With a diameter of 4.1 meters, the pipeline tunnel will be one of the deepest and largest pipeline tunnels in Belgium.
Ward Kerkhofs, managing director at K-Boringen, is looking forward to the technical complexity of the project and the added value it will bring to Zeebrugge’s future. “With our expertise in microtunneling, we can construct this technically challenging pipeline tunnel with minimal impact on the surrounding area and port traffic. Projects like this require thorough technical preparation and close collaboration among all partners involved.”
Once the tunnel is built, the project will move on to phases 2 and 3. These will take place entirely underground and will have minimal impact on the neighborhood and its residents.
