Sea lock IJmuiden ready this summer, to be used next year | Financial

In the coming period, the builders of the lock, construction companies BAM and VolkerWessels, will be busy testing all the systems. If the lock works properly, it will be completed. This is followed by a period of testing for the people who have to work with the lock, such as the lock keepers, pilots and boatmen. The latter are people who moor the ships in the lock. Sea-going vessels will also be used for these tests, which are planned for the autumn.

Construction error

Originally, the new lock should have been put into operation at the end of 2019. However, construction was delayed due to a construction error. Fixing that mistake cost BAM and VolkerWessels hundreds of millions of euros.

The new lock, which was named Zeesluis IJmuiden after a competition, will be the largest in the world with a length of 500 meters. The lock is to replace the current Noordersluis, which was built in 1929 and will reach the end of its technical life in 2029. Moreover, the lock has become too small for some of the current seagoing vessels.

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