Earlier this week, the first segment of the Scheldt Tunnel was supposed to arrive in Antwerp, but high waves have delayed the departure until Friday, 30 May.
For the past three years, preparations for the Scheldt Tunnel have been underway on Linkeroever, connecting the Sint-Anna junction. This tunnel will link the left and right banks of Antwerp for both motorised and bicycle traffic, consisting of eight segments constructed in a Zeebrugge dry dock. The transportation of these segments is anticipated to be “one of the most impressive and complex nautical operations in Flanders.”
Each tunnel element weighs 60,000 tonnes, measuring 160 metres long, 42 metres wide, and ten metres high. Before being submerged into their final location in the Scheldt, the segments will initially be placed in a ‘waiting dock’ in Doel. The sinking of all elements is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Bicycle traffic is expected to begin using the tunnel in 2028, with road traffic anticipated to follow in 2030, once connections on the right bank to the new Oosterweel interchange are complete. Simultaneously, the Kanaaltunnels are being constructed to replace the Merksem viaduct and join the Oosterweel interchange, completing the Antwerp ring road (R1).
The Scheldt Tunnel will stretch 1.8 kilometres and feature two three-lane roadways, matching the capacity of the Kennedy Tunnel. Between the two roadway tubes is a maintenance and emergency passage, and on the outside, a six-metre-wide bicycle tunnel. On Sunday, several politicians visited the construction site, including Bart De Wever (N-VA), Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), Annick De Ridder (N-VA), and Jan Jambon (N-VA).
