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Multraship tugs support Antwerp Scheldt tunnel construction
Tugboats are supporting the construction of a motorway tunnel in the River Scheldt in Antwerp by towing and manoeuvring concrete structures and assisting in their installation
Multraship Towage & Salvage is providing towage services to support the Scheldt Tunnel’s construction, with sections of concrete towed and installed using several tugs.
This contract began at the end of June with the transport and immersion of the first tunnel section in the Scheldt river in Antwerp. A second section was installed on 21 July. Each immersion operation takes 24 to 30 hours.
Prior to installation, concrete sections are towed from Zeebrugge to the Doel dock in Antwerp where they are prepared for immersion. So far five sections, each 160 m long, 42 m wide, and weighing 60,000 tonnes, have reached the dock. Three are yet to make this voyage.
Four tugs and a pusher vessel move these tunnel sections 130 km along the North Sea coast and down the Scheldt River.
Construction and installation work on one of the most complex maritime operations ever undertaken in Flanders is being managed by Temporary Partnership Combination Oosterweeltunnel, a group consisting of the Belgian construction companies: BESIX, Lantis, Stadsbader Contractors, DEME and Jan De Nul.
When immersed, tunnel sections are rested on temporary supports in the Scheldt. The space between the underside of the tunnel section and the sinking trench is filled with a water-sand mixture, and this becomes the foundation for the tunnel and ensures the element is fully supported on the bottom of the Scheldt.
By the end of July, a sixth section will have left Zeebrugge on its way to the Doel dock and the project team anticipates the third tunnel section to be immersed on 4 August, depending on tide, river currents and weather.
All sections are expected to be immersed by December 2025, when internal construction of the tunnel can commence.
According to the current schedule, the first cyclists will be able to go through the tunnel in 2028 and the first cars in 2030. The complete Antwerp ring road will be ready for use in 2033.
“The immersion of the first tunnel section heralds the symbolic final phase of the journey that started in Zeebrugge and will have its final destination in the Scheldt,” said Flemish minister of mobility and public works, Annick De Ridder.
“In 2028 and 2030 respectively, people will cycle and drive through here. That seems hard to imagine now, but this operation makes it tangible and shows what is possible with know-how, and how we can be great in our little Flanders. This is the Champions League of engineering.”
The 28th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in association with Caterpillar, 19-21 May 2026. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities.
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