Doors for new Sea Lock IJmuiden make their way to the Netherlands

The doors are 72 metres long and 24 metres high

(Original Dutch press release Rijkswaterstaat:) Haarlem, the Netherlands, 24 October 2018 – The doors of the new sealock in IJmuiden are on their way to the Netherlands. On Tuesday night (Dutch time) the doors left by ship from South Korea. The journey is expected to take about two months.

In total, three doors are being transported. This includes two operational lock doors, for which the lock gate chamber at the outer head is now being installed in IJmuiden, and a reserve lock door. The lock doors are 72 metres long, 24 metres high and 11 metres wide. They weigh about 2,900 tons each. The doors are positioned at their side on a so-called heavy-duty ship. The ship is 45 metres wide, the doors are 72 metres wide and therefore stand out significantly.

New sea lock IJmuiden

In order to accommodate  ever-larger seagoing vessels, IJmuiden has been working on the construction of the largest sea lock in the world since 2016. The sea lock provides tide-independent access for a smooth and safe accessibility of the ports and companies along the North Sea Canal. The new lock will be 500 metres long, 70 metres wide and 18 metres deep. It is a joint project between the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the province of Noord-Holland, the municipality of Amsterdam, Port of Amsterdam and the municipality of Velsen. Contractor is the consortium OpenIJ, which is building the new sealock for Rijkswaterstaat. Rijkswaterstaat is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and responsible for the design, construction, management and maintenance of the main infrastructure facilities in the Netherlands.