Van den Herik, in conjunction with Boskalis B.V., lowered 250 groynes and installed longitudinal dams with bank channel on the Waal River between Tiel and Gorinchem.

The groyne lowering Waal project was one of the measures within the national HWBP “Room for the River.

On the stretch between Nijmegen and Gorinchem, groynes on both sides of the river have been lowered by an average of 1 meter. The groyne lowering and longitudinal dams make it easier for the water on the Waal to find its way, while preserving the navigation channel. This measure reduces the water level at very high water (16,000 m3/sec at Lobith) by 6 to 12 centimeters.

During the work in the waterway, the main transport axis of world port Rotterdam and ‘Hinterland Ruhrgebiet’ had to remain in full nautical function. The challenge in this project was to absolutely not interfere with shipping traffic during the work.

After being awarded the contract in 2012, the consortium began construction in the spring of 2013, with work completed in late 2015. The official handover took place in March 2016.