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There are also divers at work for the construction of Zeesluis IJmuiden (the new sea lock). They are busy with underwater engineering and construction activities. Max Schellenbach and Jan-Pieter Steunebrink of Boskalis are responsible for the Boskalis diving department and the execution of the work for OpenIJ. They told us about the work of their divers.

A larger lock means bigger ships and more salt water. The locking process creates large volumes of fresh or salt water flowing into or out of the lock and water turbulence may scour out holes near the inner and outer lock heads, undermining them.

The contours of Zeesluis IJmuiden are now clearly visible and this means that the final phase of construction has now begun. In the coming months, OpenIJ will continue with the construction of the Loswal (quay) on the Zuidersluiseiland (number 1 in the picture); the public road across the locks will open for pedestrians, cyclists and mopeds (number 2 in the picture).

Together we can make the port more sustainable. We are looking at various possibilities to achieve this, in cooperation with our customers and partners.

The OpenIJ Logistics Centre is the place where all materials for the construction of the new sea lock are stored. Initially, the centre was located in Amsterdam's Western Port Area, but recently the site has been relocated and the materials have been stored close to the lock complex.

In 11 weeks’ time, 600,000 m3 of sand has been dredged out of the lock chamber by cutter suction dredger ‘Biesbosch’. The lock chamber is now at a depth of 19m below NAP. The bottom of the lock will be made of gravel and concrete which, when completed, will give the lock a maximum depth of 18 metres.