The Flemish Government has officially approved the project for the construction of a new sea lock in Zeebrugge, allowing preparations for the bidding process and the commencement of construction to begin, with work expected to start by 2027 at the latest.
Plans for a new sea lock in Zeebrugge have been in place for years. This new lock will provide a second access route to the inner harbour. A new connecting road will be built to separate port traffic and through traffic from local traffic, and will be partially tunnelled.
With the final project approval, the Flemish authorities have made decisions regarding permits, the zoning plan, and measures to mitigate the environmental and other impacts of the project. This decision marks the project’s entry into its last phase, where contractors will be appointed before construction can commence.
Marc Adriansens, chairman of Apzi-Voka West-Flanders, remarked, “We have been waiting for a long time. The dossier has dragged on for more than twenty years. We have seen considerable participation, public inquiries, and studies during the last administration period, but today we can finally speak of a concrete step towards execution. We expect the Flemish Government to allocate the budget foreseen in the GIP, so that the construction can start before 2030, ideally in 2027.”
