Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Westerschelde tunnel: Connecting function, financing and safety aspects

1999; Elsevier BV; Volume: 14; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0886-7798(99)00030-9

1878-4364

J. Heijboer, Renee van Beek, E.W. Worm,

Geotechnical Engineering and Analysis

The Westerschelde Tunnel will connect Zeeland Flanders and Central Zeeland. At its deepest point, the tunnel, composed of two tubes 6.6 km long and 11.3 m in diameter, will be 60 m below sea level. It will be opened for traffic at the beginning of 2003 and will be used by approximately 12,000 vehicles per day. The tunnel and associated roads will cost more than NLG 1.5 billion (approx. $US730 million). The tunnel will be run by a limited liability company, which will initially have two shareholders: the State of the Netherlands (95%) and the province of Zeeland (5%). The average toll will be NLG 11.75 (approx. $US5.75) (2003 prices). Characteristic features of the tunnel are its great length and depth and the high level of safety. The latter will be provided by features such as 26 transverse connections between the two tunnel tubes.