The municipality of Den Helder, the province of North Holland, the Ministry of Defence, and the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf are organizing an open house meeting about the Maritime Cluster at the town hall of Den Helder on Tuesday evening, July 8, 2025.
Interested parties will receive information and can ask questions about developments in the port, such as the relocation of the Moorman Bridge, a new Ravelijn Bridge, the adjustment of the Nieuwe Diep/Nieuwe Werk, and the development of Buitenveld.
These projects are part of the program Development Maritime Cluster. The partners aim to improve the livability, accessibility, and economic development of Den Helder and the region. Everyone in Den Helder and the region will notice something from this.
During the meeting, 3 studies will be explained
- A mobility study showing that a Ravelijn Bridge sustainably improves the accessibility of the port area and the rest of Den Helder. The best traffic flow occurs when traffic to and from the TESO is directed via the route over Het Nieuwe Werk/Nieuwe Diep.
- A location study for a Ravelijn Bridge. The study describes 11 search locations for a river connection over the Koopvaarders Binnenhaven, which have been tested for nautical safety, heritage values, munitions zones, and impact on existing buildings. From this, 3 promising locations emerge. The research agency Haskoning recommends further investigating the feasibility of these 3 locations in the next phase of the study.
- A study on the possibilities for a future shipping route via Willemsoord. This looked at the use of both the Zeedoksluis and the Boerenverdrietsluis. The study was developed in close collaboration with a broad group of stakeholders: from nautical experts and water managers to representatives of the marina, the navy, and tourism entrepreneurs in the area. Multiple scenarios have been developed and assessed against the existing situation: from a limited shipping route maintaining the current situation, to a full alternative route for shipping, and a variant where the Zeedoksluis is filled in. The result is a substantiated overview of the possibilities based on criteria such as accessibility, economy, nautical safety, and finances, without applying a weighting in advance. The report provides a basis for making a reasoned choice about the future of the shipping route and the design of the Natte Dok of Willemsoord.
Follow-up approach and status of the studies
The conducted studies are primarily puzzle pieces for further planning within the Maritime Cluster. The various sub-projects need to be well coordinated with each other, and a weighting of the criteria leading to different variants is still needed. Based on this, complete coherent scenarios will be developed. Then follows testing for feasibility and the planning procedures. Part of these procedures is the opportunity for public input. Only then does the administrative decision-making follow for each project.
Where and how?
The open house meeting is on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, from 19:15 to 21:30 at the town hall of Den Helder. In the 3 large halls of the town hall, the studies will be presented at different times. In the hall, there are stands with information about the projects and the participation and communication plan. Interested parties can indicate via a survey how they would like to be involved in the developments.
Registration
Registration for the open house meeting is not necessary, but appreciated. This way, the organization knows how many people to expect. Registration can be done on the website ingesprek.denhelder.nl Opens an external link or by sending an email to ingesprek@denhelder.nl.
About the Maritime Cluster
The province of North Holland, the municipality of Den Helder, and the Ministry of Defence are collaborating on the development of the port of Den Helder. The projects from the program Development Maritime Cluster Den Helder improve the accessibility, livability, and economy of the port and the region. More information about the Maritime Cluster and the program for this meeting can be found on the municipalitys website: www.denhelder.nl/maritiemcluster Opens an external link . From July 9, 2025, the reports of the various studies will also be available there. See also: Development Maritime Cluster of Den Helder.