Dredging the IJmuiden new locks

OpenIJ – a consortium of construction companies building the world’s largest sea lock in IJmuiden, the Netherlands – and the Port of Amsterdam have just released the Summer 2020 Construction Update.

The following activities are scheduled for the coming months: the connection of the lock sill to the lock gate chamber of the inner head; dredging work in the new lock chamber; and the construction of the eastern part of the flood barrier on the north side.

In addition, the activities on the walls of the inner lock head will continue throughout July and August.

Dredging operations in the lock chamber will commence by the end of June. These dredging operations will produce more than 600,000 m3 of sand.

The sand will be transported by dredger ‘Biesbosch’ to spray pontoon ‘Steenbok’ by means of a pressure pipeline over land and a floating pipeline on the water.

The spray pontoon will manoeuvre in the Noorderbuitentoeleidingskanaal (outer approach channel to the North Lock) to dump the sand in the – for this purpose – specially deepened part of the fairway.

Trailing suction hopper dredger ‘Shoalway’ will dredge up this sand out of the deepened part of the fairway to bring it to the dumping area in the North Sea.

According to the Port of Amsterdam, this working method has been coordinated with the Port Authority and the Pilot Organisation and will be carried out in such a way that the floating pipeline and the spray pontoon will cause minimal disruption to shipping.