The plans for the missing stretch of motorway between Delft and Schiedam were compiled as far back as the 1950s.With the creation of the sandhill on top of the location of the new motorway y at the end of the 1960s, it looked as if the building of the motorway would quickly go ahead. Due to continuous resistance from the neighbouring area, the construction was halted in the 1970s. More than 40 years later, on October 18, 2011, Combinatie A4all signed the contract with Rijkswaterstaat for building the seven-kilometre stretch of road. Combinatie A4all (Boskalis, Heijmans en VolkerWessels) is working hard on completing the connecting portion of motorway between Delft and Schiedam. With the opening of the motorway at the end of this year in sight, the unique characteristics of the new motorway are becoming increasingly evident.
Building an innovative motorway you can't smell, hear or see.
The construction of the motorway ensures that it fits well into its surroundings. For example for the ecological connection in Midden-Delfland, the "green-blue belt", a 100-metre-long, 40-metre-wide eco-aqueduct has been built. This offers an appealing resting place for meadow birds in the surrounding polder. A sound-absorbent, fire-resistant cladding for the closed and open top Landtunnel has been developed specially for this project. This cladding ensures a drastic reduction in noise from the motorway and, at the same time, guarantees safety in case of fire. In the design of the semi-submerged and submerged locations, everything has been done to retain the open polder landscape. With successful results! From the surrounding polder, nothing shows that a motorway passes through. The roof park on the 2 km-long land tunnel offers local residents in Vlaardingen and Schiedam space for recreation, relaxation and sports.
The earthwork and asph faulting are being carried out by KWS Infra.
Van Hattum & Blankevoort are responsible for the civil constructions.
Vialis is realising the traffic systems and the technical installations for the differtet sections of the tunnel.
Volker Staal en Funderingen have constructed the cement and bentonite walls and the steel sheet piling alongside the (semi) submerged location.
Holland Scherm is building all the sound barriers and sound absorbing cladding.
Van Kessel is responsible for the temporary and final well-point drainage. The project planting is also in the hands of Van Kessel.
VolkerRail has constructed the Brederoweg tram crossing between Vlaardingen and Schiedam.
VolkerWessels Telecom is responsible for the telecom connections in and around the land tunnel.
Visser & Smit Hanab have installed the dry fire extinguishing lines in the submerged location and relocated a number of pipelines.
HOMIJ Technische Installaties laid the fire extinguishing lines in the covered part of the tunnel.
Smits Neuchâtel realised a large portion of the joint constructions.
Aveco de Bondt contributed to the design of the motorway and to the environmental management.
Visser & Smit Bouw assisted with the construction of the service buildings.
VolkerInfra has been involved since the tender phase in 2011, responsible for the project management of the joint venture.
The motorway will open at the end of 2015. Until then, we will be working hard on its completion. The opening of the motorway will considerably improve the flow of traffic between The Hague and Rotterdam.
