Van den Herik sets to work within consortium on N307 Roggebot-Kampen

The Provinces of Flevoland and Overijssel and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management are jointly investing 100 million euros in accessibility and flood risk management in the IJsseldelta region. The associated work will be executed by the Roggebot Consortium, made up of Mobilis, Van Gelder and Van den Herik. An agreement to this end was signed today by various representatives, including the Member of the Provincial Executive of Flevoland Jan de Reus, Member of the Provincial Executive of Overijssel Bert Boerman and representatives of the consortium members. In view of the current Covid restrictions, the occasion was not marked with a festive get-together. Rather, the representatives all signed the agreement individually, either at home or from their office.

The project is the final phase of the ‘Ruimte voor de Rivier IJsseldelta’ (‘Room for the River - IJsseldelta’) programme, which has already significantly contributed to the safety and scenic quality of this Dutch river area. Following the decommissioning of the Roggebotsluis lock, high water in the River IJssel can now also drain in Lake IJssel via Reevedi ep Canal. The project also gives new impetus to circulation along the A-Z (Alkmaar-Zwolle) connection.

Improved circulation on N307
The removal of the lock frees up room for the realisation of a new, 300-metre long bridge, which will have to open far less frequently for shipping. In the near future, almost 100 per cent of commercial vessels and 90 per cent of pleasure craft will be able to pass under the bridge. Moreover, road traffic will be prioritised over shipping. ‘This will give a tremendous boost to traffic circulation,’ says Member of the Provincial Executive Jan de Reus. This section of the N307 trunk road will also be upgraded, and the authorities will be constructing parallel roads and taking various measures to improve safety conditions for cyclists. ‘We will continue to communicate with local residents and businesses throughout the realisation of this new infrastructure. And the contractor has promised to limit nuisance for the surrounding area as far as possible,’ says Member of the Provincial Executive Bert Boerman. The first preparatory activities at the site are already underway, with the contractor starting to reroute cables and pipelines in the project area after the summer.

Roggebot Consortium sets to work
The project will be executed by Mobilis, Van Gelder and Van den Herik, which have joined strengths in the Roggebot Consortium (Dutch: Combinatie Roggebot). The three partners were awarded the project contract in early September and have since started on preparing for the execution phase. ‘We will first be working out the designs in further detail, in consultation with a number of different parties – and optimising them where possible. In January 2021, we will start laying a sand bed for the new bridge ramps so the sand has time to settle. At that point, we will also make a start on the structural preparations,’ explains Robert Maat on the consortium’s behalf. ‘The new bridge will be constructed next to the existing road that runs across the lock. This road will remain open so traffic can keep driving along this route throughout the entire project term. This also keeps things safe for road users and construction workers. And of course, we will take careful account of the interests of local residents, entrepreneurs as well as flora and fauna in the area.’

The above illustration is an artist’s impression of the project result.