Dredging International Part of Coentunnel Consortium
Belgian dredging company Dredging International is a member of the Coentunnel Company BV a consortium that has signed a contract to build a second tunnel under the North Sea Canal in Amsterdam.
On April 22 the Coentunnel Company BV consortium formed by VINCI (Paris:DG) Concessions and VINCI Construction subsidiaries CFE and Dredging International together with Dura Vermeer Arcadis Besix and TBI signed the concession contract for the Coentunnel in Amsterdam with the Dutch Minister for Water and Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat).
The project in total worth over 500 million euros calls for the financing design and construction of a submerged eight-lane road tunnel under the North Sea Canal as well as renovating the existing 1283-meter-long existing tunnel and maintaining both tunnels for a period of 30 years. Remuneration of the concessionaire will be in the form of an annual payment and the amount will depend on the actual availability of the infrastructure to users of these tunnels which connect the center of Amsterdam with the northern part of the Netherlands.
The construction project is expected to take five years and will be carried out by a consortium made up of Vinci Construction Grands Projects and the Vinci Construction subsidiaries CFE and DEME along with TBI Dura Vermeer and Besix.
The project consists of several segments.
First the Coentunnel Company will take on the maintenance of the existing tunnel for 30 years as of the effective date. The State of The Netherlands remains the owner and manager through Rijkswaterstaat.
Simultaneously Coentunnel Company will prepare and realize the construction of a second tunnel with access roads and facilities. After the new tunnel is brought into use the old Coentunnel will be renovated and the final route will consist of two tunnels with a total of eight traffic lanes.
Construction of the first tunnel was completed in 1966 and solved a severe traffic problem. Today approximately 109400 cars transit the tunnel under the North Sea Canal between Amsterdam and the Zaan area.
