Renovation of Heinenoord Tunnel Wins 2nd Prize at the International Tunnelling Award

The Manfreida Tunnel from Italy won first place. In total, over 100 entries from 29 countries across seven categories competed for these prestigious international tunnelling awards.

ITA Award

The ITA is an international organisation dedicated to advancing tunnelling through sustainability and innovation. To this end, the ITA Tunnelling Awards are organised annually. The Heinenoord Tunnel renovation secured second place in the 2024 'Renovation Project of the Year' category. Submissions were assessed on innovations in design and construction, safety during execution, measures taken to minimise environmental impact, and sustainable solutions applied to reduce costs.

The jury of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) was highly impressed with the execution of the renovation and the construction of the central tunnel channel.

A Monumental Task Accomplished

Irene Schnieders, Project Manager at Rijkswaterstaat: 'I am immensely proud of this award. It is a recognition of the entire team’s efforts. After years of preparation, we successfully tackled a monumental task within two years, achieving the renovation with minimal impact on the surrounding environment.'

'Disruption was inevitable, so the surrounding community also deserves a great deal of credit. Thanks to their cooperation, we were able to limit disruptions. Many adapted their travel habits, and businesses implemented measures, resulting in less overall disruption than anticipated.'

Renovation of the Heinenoord Tunnel

The Heinenoord Tunnel has been in operation since 1969. Since then, continuous maintenance has been carried out on both its structure and its technical installations and systems. After 55 years, the tunnel was in need of major renovation. Its installations and systems had become outdated and needed replacement. Although the structure was still in good condition, it required some refurbishment.

The renovation was prepared and carried out in collaboration with TEC Tunnel Engineering Consultants (a partnership between Royal HaskoningDHV and Witteveen+Bos) and the contractor consortium Savera III (a collaboration between Dura Vermeer, SWARCO, and SPIE).

Central Tunnel Channel Completed in 7.5 Days

Geert Quicken, Project Director at Savera III: 'We knew the execution would be complex. Thanks to thorough and detailed preparation and practising outside the tunnel with a full-scale model of the immersion joints and the central tunnel channel, we knew how to execute the work as efficiently as possible.'

'We are particularly proud of having constructed a central tunnel channel in an existing tunnel within just 7.5 days. This achievement’s uniqueness was also recognised by the jury.'

Renovating Tunnels in South Holland

Following this renovation, the tunnel meets the latest legislation and safety requirements. It is now climate-resilient and can last for decades to come. With all-new installations and systems, the tunnel uses less energy, powered by wind turbines from the Maasvlakte.

The Heinenoord Tunnel on the A29 was the first of eight tunnels in South Holland slated for renovation. The lessons learned during this project will be applied to future renovations.