Rijkswaterstaat has awarded the final contract for the planning phase of the renewal task of the seven weirs in the Maas to consortium Stuwkracht Maas. Haskoning and Witteveen+Bos form the leading combination. Additionally, Boorsma, HKV Lijn in Water, Nebest, and Peelen-Global are also part of the consortium.
The collaboration was officially confirmed today by Patricia Zorko, Deputy Director-General of Rijkswaterstaat, Anton van der Sanden, Director of Haskoning Nederland B.V., and Wouter Bijman, General Director of Witteveen+Bos at the weir and lock complex Grave in Nederasselt.
Long-term Strategy
The seven weirs play a crucial role in the navigability and water availability of the Maas. In the project ‘Renewal Weirs Maas’, Rijkswaterstaat and Stuwkracht Maas will investigate together over the coming years when and why the weirs will reach the end of their lifespan in the future. In doing so, Rijkswaterstaat and Stuwkracht Maas will study developments in climate, water availability, and ecological water quality.
In about two years, this will result in a strategy for maintaining the weir function in the Maas. A further elaboration will follow for each weir. The project thus concerns the long-term approach to the weirs in the Maas. Rijkswaterstaat and the consortium stand together for a stable expert project organization and a controlled process in which knowledge and experience from decades of Maas projects are bundled.
Strategic Cooperation for Renewal Task
With the start of this project, Rijkswaterstaat and the consortium are taking an important step within the broader renewal task in the Netherlands. The extensive renewal of bridges, locks, and weirs requires integrated cooperation with market parties, knowledge sharing, and innovation.
‘When it comes to working on future-proof infrastructure, the renewal task Weirs Maas takes a leading position. We are preparing the weirs for the climate and water management of the future. I sense the involvement, expertise, and collaborative spirit that the maintenance task for our country demands from us.
I am sure that many colleagues from other large renewal projects will be watching over your shoulders in the coming years to see how this consortium, together with Rijkswaterstaat, will tackle this project,’ says Patricia Zorko from Rijkswaterstaat.
‘The replacement and renovation task of Rijkswaterstaat is one of the biggest challenges in Dutch infrastructure at the moment. With Stuwkracht Maas, we combine in-depth knowledge of water safety, infrastructure, and sustainable solutions. In this way, we contribute not only to the future-proofing of the weirs in the Maas but also to the broader renewal task of the Netherlands,’ says Anton van der Sanden from Haskoning.
About Stuwkracht Maas
Stuwkracht Maas is a consortium of six parties: Haskoning, Witteveen+Bos, Boorsma, HKV Lijn in Water, Nebest, and Peelen-Global. The consortium combines current knowledge of weirs, the weir system of the Maas, and planning processes, supplemented with, among other things, specific expertise in maintenance, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, industrial automation, river management, ecology, and spatial quality.