Consortium to build bigger lock

The OpenIJ consortium, consisting of Bam, Volker Wessels and DIF, will be responsible for the design, construction, financing and maintenance for a period of 26 years of a new Northern lock in the Dutch port of IJmuiden.

Rijkswaterstaat (the Dutch Highways & Waterways Agency) intends awarding the construction of the new IJmuiden sea lock, located at the entrance to the North Sea Canal, to the consortium. The existing lock is almost 100 years old.

The new, larger lock system will be designed to improve accessibility to the port of Amsterdam and stimulate the local economy by offering space to ships independent of the tidal levels.

The new lock will be 70m wide, 500m long and 18m deep, and construction will start in early 2016, with the new lock available for shipping at the end of 2019.

Rijkswaterstaat, the Province of North Holland, the City of Amsterdam and Port of Amsterdam will work together to bring about the new large sea lock at IJmuiden. The Municipality of Velsen is involved as legal adviser with regard to planning procedures.