The Vistula Spit project in Poland moving along nicely

BESIX – NDI GROUP joint-venture is making significant progress in realizing the Vistula Spit Shipping Channel project in Poland.

The Channel through the Vistula Spit is a major infrastructure project that will generate important economic benefits for the Republic of Poland. The Spit is a peninsular stretch of land, separating the Vistula Lagoon from the Gdańsk Bay.

According to the contractors, the work on this project is progressing well and is on track for completion by the end of next year.

Overall, the project includes construction of two breakwaters, a channel, dredging, bridge construction, four sluice gates, buildings, landscaping as well as the adjacent roads and the soil reinforcement of the roads embankments.

Another interesting feature of this project is a 190 hectares big artificial island that will be constructed within the Vistula Lagoon.

Last fall, a deepening of the Gdańsk Bay basin was carried out so that ships can deliver stone and other materials needed for this project.

“The beginning of spring is the time for us to break the record. It turned out that in March, although we only worked for two weeks (on an artificial island), we managed to install 136 underwater ties,” said Paweł Śpiewak, head of hydrotechnical works from the NDI / Besix consortium. “Besides, we plunged 570 meters of the sheet pile wall, which is also our new record. The total involvement of pile driving works is approximately 66 percent. We are approaching the complete closure of the artificial island.”

“In addition, dredging, silting and earth works are carried out inside the bulkhead and work is also in progress on the western and eastern breakwaters,” added Śpiewak.

Construction of the canal on the Vistula Spit according to the schedule should be completed in 2022.