Engineering services for Maas dyke reinforcements contracted

The water board contracted the partners because of their specialist knowledge and expertise of rivers, dykes and nature and area development. The partners also provide their expertise in sustainability and innovation.

The engineering consortia are responsible for all seventeen HWBP projects along the Meuse. With this framework contract, Waterschap Limburg has the engineering consortia on board to assist in these projects. Witteveen+Bos and Arcadis are therefore working on the projects Nieuw-Bergen, Belfeld, Venlo - Vierwaarden, Venlo - ‘t Bat, Baarlo Hout-Blerick, Roermond Willem Alexanderhaven, Zuidelijk Maasdal and the Venlo stretch, among others.

This is the third framework contract in a row for the combination Arcadis and Witteveen+Bos on which they have been working together for Waterschap Limburg since 2016.

Director of Programmes and Large Waters Marcel Bastiaanssen of Arcadis said: ‘We are very happy to continue helping the water board with the HWBP projects in the coming years. We already delivered the first projects, which are serving to protect Limburg from high water. Together, we want to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. We focus our pooling of expertise and experience on strengthening the dikes to protect Limburg's inhabitants. Moreover, we will see to it that the reinforced dykes blend seamlessly into the landscape, attractive to use and to live in.'

Project director Hans Helder of Witteveen+Bos, Hans Helder: ‘This framework contract was important for both our firms; we were very keen to stay involved. As partners we are well matched, we know the water board and the projects well and Waterschap Limburg is a very nice water board to work for. Within the dyke reinforcement projects, customisation is always necessary because of the complex tasks in an area with many interests. This is super interesting. Waterschap Limburg is also open to innovations. For example, we contributed to the highest self-closing flood defence in the Netherlands.'

Waterschap Limburg's High Water Protection Programme is part of the national HWBP. The largest dyke reinforcement operation since the Delta Works. In this programme, water boards and Rijkswaterstaat will improve over two thousand kilometres of dykes throughout the Netherlands over the next thirty years. About 175 kilometres of this is in Limburg.