📋 Tender Overview
The renovation of the Urker lock and bridge has been successful. Despite the corona crisis the work is finished after 9 weeks exactly according to the schedule. On Saturday April 18 2020 the Urkersluis will be open again for waterway traffic. The Urkersluis is the first lock that has been renovated from the major maintenance bridges locks program . All 13 bridges and 11 locks serving the province are being modernized. The biggest job at the Urkersluis was to replace the operating and control system. In addition other activities have been carried out such asReplacing the slides in the bypass sewer. This is the tube where the water flows in or out of the lock during the lock.Placing new cameras. This makes the operator even more aware of what is happening in the lock and on the road.New public address system with which the operator can speak to the skippers in the lock.Renewal of the warning signs for road traffic and for shipping.New sliding ropes in the lock chamber.Painting of the fences and the scaffolding where the emergency doors hang.The work continuesOur work will continue after April 18 2020. Repairs to the concrete are still taking place and painting is still taking place. We are renovating the jetties and the braking works on both sides of the lock at a later time probably later this year. For this work we do not have to leave and do not have to close the lock. Emergency control centers are also being built at 2 locations in the province. If the power station at the provincial house should fail the operators can go to the emergency center or at the Urkersluis in Urk or at the Noordersluis in Lelystad.Major maintenance of bridges locksAfter the renovation of the Urker lock the Arie de Witbrug on Urk will follow in September 2020 and the Frisian lock in October 2020. That is all the way in the northern tip of the Noordoostpolder near Lemmer. All 16 locations are renovated one after the other. The activities take place outside the recreational boating season as much as possible. The plan is that all bridges and locks will be renewed by the end of March 2023. The control center in the provincial house must therefore be completely converted.New operating systemAn important part of the major bridge and sluice maintenance program is the construction of a new operating system. Since 2014 all 13 movable bridges and 11 locks have been operated from one control center in the provincial house. This centrally controlled system is now being replaced. The bridges and locks are currently controlled from one point. But every bridge or lock has its own way of operating. Making this universal now makes control and management easier but above all safer. Moreover after the renovation we have a system that meets the latest technological insights.
