Mobile Barrier Protects Maastricht Hospital and Neighborhoods

The temporary barrier is 1.8 kilometers long and consists of triangular foot supports with metal panels on the slanted side that are 1 meter or half a meter high. The panels are covered with a sturdy blue foil. A heavy chain ensures the foil stays in place during rising high water.

This temporary barrier is constructed on the existing dike (Hoge Weerd and Limburglaan) along the Meuse near the Maastricht neighborhood of Heugem. Construction starts when the water discharge in the Meuse at the Sint Pieter measuring point reaches 3250 cubic meters per second. This is comparable to the discharge during the high water in July 2021. The expected assembly time of the temporary barrier is about 4 hours with a total deployment of 60 people. 

The initiative for the mobile barrier came from MUMC+. Chairperson Dr. Helen Mertens: “In July 2021, we saw what extreme high water can mean for our hospital. Even in such circumstances, our acute and highly complex care must always continue. That is why we took the initiative to work with our partners on a quick and effective solution. With this mobile barrier, we increase the safety of our patients, staff, and the surrounding neighborhood. Together, we strengthen Maastricht’s resilience against extreme weather.”

For the Municipality of Maastricht, protecting the residents of the neighborhoods near the hospital and preventing damage to homes and, for example, the A2 tunnel was paramount. That is why alderman Hubert Mackus embraces this initiative: “The experiences of 2021 are still vivid in our minds. For the people living and working in this area, we want no doubt about their safety. This temporary barrier gives us the ability to respond quickly when water levels rise. Thanks to cooperation with MUMC+ and Waterschap Limburg, we can better protect the Randwyck and Heugem neighborhoods while continuing to work on a permanent solution.”

This cooperation with the hospital and municipality is very important for dike warden Saskia Borgers. “We must work together to prevent flooding. Moreover, we realize more and more that the chance of extreme weather – and thus flooding – is increasing. In 2021, it just went well in this area, but that could be different tomorrow. That is why we have looked benevolently at how we can work together with the municipality and MUMC+ to provide better protection in the short term,” says dike warden Saskia Borgers.

So it became a temporary (mobile) barrier that can be set up when high water threatens. The temporary barrier increases the dike capacity from about 3,500 m3 to at least 4,000 m3 per second. At the same time, work is underway on a permanent solution for this area via the South Meuse Valley project. It is expected that this year it will become clear what needs to be done along the Meuse between Eijsden and Bunde and that definitive solutions will be devised during 2027.

Once the definitive measures in the South Meuse Valley have been taken, the temporary barrier can be deployed in other locations in the province. The investment (the temporary barrier costs a total of 800,000 euros) thus remains cost-effective. These are certified barriers of the Geodesign Barrier brand delivered in containers. MUMC+ provides part of the required 60 assemblers. The Municipality of Maastricht takes care of road closures and setting up detours. The intention is to practice setting up the temporary barrier in autumn 2026.