Project
As long as 28 articulated buses
The construction of the second lock in Waasland Port – the dock complex on the left bank of the Scheldt in the Port of Antwerp – is a huge project.
500 metres long the second lock in Waasland Port is as long as 28 articulated buses laid bumper to bumper. 68 metres wide it is, however: the width of the lock is comparable to a 19-lane motorway. 20,000 tonnes of structural steel was required to build the lock, the bridges and accessories. This is nearly three times more than the steel used to build the Eiffel Tower (7,300 tonnes).
Notwithstanding the lock's huge dimensions, the construction process calls for delicate manoeuvring. For example, the lock gates have to have a perfect seal, while the mechanism of the opening bridges is precision work, as the rail track obviously has to connect perfectly to and besides the bridge every time it opens and closes again.
Vue off the Berendrecht Lock
