Preparing for the future

The Ijzerlaan project was delivered by BESIX in preparation for a major infrastructure project that will improve connections across the region. Works included the widening of the Albert Channel, the renovation of the N1 Ijzerlaan and Engineer Mennes boulevard, the demolition of the old Ijzerlaan bridge and placement of a new one. Purpose-built for bicycles, the bridge connects the Singel and Ring bike paths to create a cycle highway. The height of the new bridge allows 18,000 tonne freight vessels to pass underneath, taking an estimated 600 trucks off the city’s roads. A highlight of construction was the placement of the steel deck of the new bicycle bridge over the Albert Channel. The 85-metre-long structure, weighing 250 tonnes, was moved via pontoon in order to be pulled to the other side of the channel.