Oosterweel tunnel to open year earlier to save on costs

The Flemish government wants to open the new Scheldt tunnel of the Oosterweel connection on January 1, 2030, a year earlier than planned.

The intention of the earlier opening is to absorb part of the rising costs, which have arisen mainly due to the PFAS contamination in the 3 M region.

Gap of €800 million

On Thursday, the Flemish parliament will be presented with the progress report on the Oosterweel works, a connection under construction in Antwerp with a Scheldt tunnel for freeway and bicycle traffic. But press agency Belga was already able to see that report and notes that the costs due to PFAS contamination from the chemical company 3M in the region are already reaching 1,2 billion euros.

However, only 400 million euros of that is currently funded. The Flemish government is paying 49 million, and 50 million comes from the rehabilitation agreement with 3M. The remaining 300 million will be included in Oosterweel’s financial model.

An essential pillar of that model is the tolls that will be imposed on motorists and truck drivers. The amount of the tolls will be calculated based on the project’s final cost.

All tunnel elements are finished

Flanders now want to make every effort to open the tunnel earlier, namely January 1, 2030, instead of the end of December 2030 as initially planned. “This will also allow the loan to start being repaid sooner and not increase the loan charges,” the report reads.

Meanwhile, the eight tunnel elements have all been finished at the construction dock in Zeebrugge. Next spring, tugboats will bring them to Antwerp. The bicycle tube will open as early as 2028.

The cost of realizing the Oosterweel project, including the livability projects, has now risen from 7 to more than 10 billion euros. Money is borrowed from the government to finance the project. Tolls will fully repay this.