A24/Blankenburg connection opened!

Reinald Top (architect partner ZJA): "ZJA Architects & Engineers is delighted with the opening of the A24/Blankenburg connection. After six years of construction, a remarkable new link has been realized, with two different faces perfectly fitting the surrounding area. On the northern side of river the Scheur, the highway and service buildings have been integrated as discreetly as possible into the valuable and vulnerable peat meadow landscape. Hidden in a sunken basin, the road then dives into tunnels beneath the polder and river. On the other side, in the large-scale industrial harbor area, the highway is allowed to show itself in all its glory, with imposing flyovers and a large grassy hill defining the landscape."

Improved accessibility for the Rotterdam Region

The new north-south connection to the west of Rotterdam is expected to improve traffic flow in the Rotterdam region and strengthen the economic position of the Port of Rotterdam. Since 2018, Rijkswaterstaat and the BAAK construction consortium have been building the new 4.5-kilometer, three-lane highway.

Which includes the Maasdeltatunnel under the Scheur River (Nieuwe Waterweg), the Holland Tunnel beneath the Aalkeetpolder, and two new interchanges (Vlaardingen and Rozenburg). The A24 is a toll road, with toll collection fully electronic, eliminating the need for toll booths.

Largest sunken tunnel in the Netherlands

With a total length of 945 meters, the Maasdeltatunnel is a key part of the Blankenburg connection. The construction was a special operation. In 2023, the tunnel was sunk in two parts. On March 31, the 185-meter-long Alara tunnel section was sunk, and on November 7, the 205-meter-long Isabella section joined it at the bottom of the Scheur.

Never before in the Netherlands have tunnel sections of this size been built and sunk, and all of this was done 30 meters below sea level in a tidal river.

Want to read more about the architectural design? You can do so here.