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The
Haringvliet was build to protect Goeree-Overvlakkee, Voorne Putten and the Hoekse Waard
against the sea. This dam lies on the border of the North Sea and the Haringvliet. The
construction started in 1957 and it was finished in 1971. Except for the Oosterschelde-dam
this dam was the most time-consuming dam of all the Delta works. The dam is 4.5
kilometers long and in the center is a part of 1 kilometer with 17 sluice-gates to drain
the water of the great rivers in the North Sea. During severe storms all the gates can be
closed with slides. The dam also has a special lock for passing ships and some columns
have special canals for fish swimming in and out the Haringvliet when all the locks are
closed. |
| The locks were first prefabricated in a special made construction-dock in the
middle of the Haringvliet. After the locks were finished this dock was removed and the
slides were opened during the time the rest of the dam was constructed. The parts of the
dam from the islands to the locks were made by the ‘cable-railway’ method. The
cable-cars dropped big rocks on the right places and all these rocks would be covered with
sand. A layer of asphalt would finish the whole construction. |
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