Even after the renovation, Ballast Nedam will remain involved: the company will maintain the tunnel until the end of 2039. The Noordtunnel is the 1^st of 3 tunnels that have been put on the market in a bundled approach.

The other 2 are the Beneluxtunnel and the Tweede Heinenoordtunnel. Today, Rijkswaterstaat and Ballast Nedam signed the contract during a festive gathering in Rotterdam.

Martin Wijnen, Director-General of Rijkswaterstaat: Many of our tunnels are of advanced age and are due for renovation. I am pleased that we have found a party in Ballast Nedam that believes in the innovative portfolio contract and is taking on the challenge to make the Noordtunnel future-proof.

Sander Lefevre, member of the Board of Directors of Ballast Nedam: We are very excited about this assignment and look forward to getting started. We bring extensive expertise and experience from previous tunnel projects, such as the Swalmen Tunnel and Roertunnel (A73).

We would also like to apply this knowledge to the other 2 tunnels in this portfolio after the Noordtunnel. Thanks to the portfolio approach chosen by Rijkswaterstaat, we can continue to improve ourselves and thus contribute maximally to a future-proof infrastructure.

Rijkswaterstaat has found the best party for this task in Ballast Nedam. They achieved the maximum score on the plan for the exploratory phase and the testing process. During the tendering process, they demonstrated craftsmanship, openness, experience, and cost awareness.

Bundled Approach to Tunnel Renovations in South Holland

In the coming years, a total of 5 tunnels will be renovated in South Holland. The portfolio approach used here is a new way of collaborating between Rijkswaterstaat and market parties that contributes to more continuity and innovation.

This concretely means that 1 tunnel renovation is put out to tender, with the possibility of adding a 2^nd and 3^rd. The advantage of this is that we can optimally utilize the available capacity and knowledge at both Rijkswaterstaat and the contractor.

With good cooperation and execution on the Noordtunnel, negotiations for the follow-up assignments will begin; first for the Beneluxtunnel (A4) and then for the Second Heinenoordtunnel (A29).

The 2^nd portfolio consists of the Drechttunnel (A16) and the Sijtwendetunnel (N14), for which Rijkswaterstaat is still looking for a party. The tender for the Drechttunnel will be launched on May 15, 2025.

Start of the Exploratory Phase

Now that the award is formal, the exploratory phase begins. During this 15-month period, Ballast Nedam, together with Rijkswaterstaat, will conduct additional research, refine the design, and prepare an implementation plan.

This gives the contractor more time and information after the award to investigate uncertainties and risks of the project, so that the price and risk distribution can be better aligned. For the renovation of the Noordtunnel, 118.3 million euros have been reserved.

Planning

In the summer periods of 2027 and 2028, the physical work at the Noordtunnel will take place during carefully planned closure periods. In the Drechtsteden region, several projects will be carried out in the coming years: the Papendrecht Bridge, the Bridge over the Noord, the Traffic Bridge Dordrecht, and the Drechttunnel.

This will result in significant traffic disruption. Rijkswaterstaat works closely with Zuid-Holland Bereikbaar and stakeholders in the area to minimize the inconvenience as much as possible.

About the Noordtunnel

In the 1970s, traffic on the A15 highway became increasingly congested, leading to daily traffic jams. This was because the bridge over the river Noord at Alblasserdam was the only connection. As the demand for a new connection grew louder, Rijkswaterstaat opted for the construction of this tunnel. The Noordtunnel consists of 2 traffic tubes, each with 3 lanes, and was put into use in early 1992.