BRABANT FIGHTS AGAINST WATER Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm).

                     The Haringsvliet 

                                                    The haringvlietdam

With the closure of the Haringvliet , the estuary off the Isle Goeree a number achievements are completed in one operation:     

- A larger area is better protected to floods.

- A better distribution of the fresh water.

But these advantages also resulted in problems. Because there must be also a solution for the down flow of the waters of the River Rhine and Maas. There also needed to be a solution for the ice carriage of drift ice.

The solution came in the form release lock complex with a width of almost 1000-meter! This meant that the lock was able to handle a maximum of 25000-m3 water  each second. And in addition they also build locks for shipping.

To facilitate the construction of the locks  they build a temporary work dock of 1400 by 600 meters in the middle of the estuary of the Haringvliet. In November 1958 the operations manufacturing the lock complex are started.

They build the lock's first because there is no restriction with the tides. They also can use it as a base to manufacture the caissons. To establish this and to arrange for the proper foundation a total number of 21800 piles had to be driven into the soils at locating.

During the month of May 1961 the piling is finally completed.

On the piles they build pillars and in-between the lock doors are positioned. In order to have all  lock doors properly operated a total number of 68 engine rooms are constructed.

The construction of all the locks cost 96 million exclusive of the steel gates.

This shows on of the lock doors.

On finalization of the locks it  is a strange appearance. Two locks ready and no barrier.

Ice near the haringvliet locks , now you can see very well the different between sea and fresh water, the water on the right site is fresh water and on the left site is seat water.

After the above operations they begin with the closure of two little openings at  Goeree-Overflakkee's side. This is performed by filling land by sand and the construction of two bridges over the Zuiderdiepboezem.

Between the dewatering  lock and Voorne-putten there is still a pit with the lowest point of  20 meter. This opening is closed with a technique witch is used  before with success, namely the cable car. When the cable car closed the final opening they started with the landfill of the area in way of the stone barrier.

In 1970 a new milestone. The  6th  delta work has been completed.!!!!

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