The seven weirs along the Dutch portion of the Meuse play a crucial role in ensuring the availability of water as well as the river’s navigability. Over the next few years on the Vernieuwing Stuwen Maas project, Rijkswaterstaat and Stuwkracht Maas will investigate when and why the weirs will reach the end of their lifespans. This will involve studying developments in climate, water availability, and ecological water quality. In approximately two years’ time, it will result in a strategy for maintaining the proper functioning of the Meuse’s weirs. This general strategy will then be complemented by a more specific plan for each weir. The project, therefore, takes a long-term approach to the proper functioning of weirs on the Meuse.  Rijkswaterstaat and the consortium are also both committed to a stable, expert project management structure, together with a controlled process in which knowledge and experience from decades of Meuse projects come together.

The launch of this project marks an important step by Rijkswaterstaat and the consortium in the wider context of the national renovation task in the Netherlands. The extensive renovation required of bridges, locks and weirs demands integrated collaborations with market participants alongside knowledge sharing and innovation.

‘When it comes to working on a future-proof infrastructure, the Stuwen Maas renovation project is at the forefront. We are preparing the weirs for the climate and water management of the future. I can sense the commitment, expertise and collaborative spirit that the maintenance task for our country requires of us. I am certain that in the coming years, many colleagues from other major renovation projects will be looking over your shoulders to see how this consortium, together with Rijkswaterstaat, will tackle this project,' says Patricia Zorko of Rijkswaterstaat.

‘We’re really looking forward to this collaboration,’ explains Witteveen+Bos’s Robert de Heij. ‘As a hydraulic engineer, it’s fantastic to be able to work on a special object like a weir. A lot of preparation has been required, and it’s great that we can now get started on concrete actions. The renovation task in our country poses a big challenge, so the sooner we get started the better.’