Some thirty movable bridges across Flanders must be replaced by 2030 with a public-private partnership (PPP). Prior to the start of the works, the Flemish Waterway will start a market survey to present the approach to the sector.

The Flemish Waterway wants to have all its movable structures (bridges, locks, weirs, and pumping installations) remote-controlled from 2032 onward. That is why they will be simultaneously equipped with installations to make them suitable for remote control. The project also offers the opportunity to work with local authorities to locally improve road safety and traffic flow around the bridges.

‘Gear up’

Public-private partnerships for infrastructural renewal are not new. A similar approach was chosen for the raising of the bridges over the Albert Canal. In this public-private partnership, specific efforts will be made to eliminate the maintenance backlog, install remote control, and provide high-quality infrastructure for the various road users.

Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld): “Flanders has a historic maintenance backlog of tunnels and bridges. Many of them are outdated, compromising safety. […] Thanks to a large-scale public-private partnership, we can gear up to tackle the maintenance backlog  and accelerate the rollout of the remote-controlled movable infrastructure.”

Combined expertise

In contrast to a classic public tender, in which the government designs the project in detail, a PPP combines the power of the government with the expertise of private companies to achieve a better and more effective result. It increases quality and can have a positive impact on cost price, implementation time, and nuisance for the environment.

For this PPP, the Flemish Waterway is joining forces with De Werkvennootschap NV (a project association for large-scale infrastructure works). Together, they’re currently organizing a market survey. In the meantime, a file is drawn up for each bridge as a starting point for the PPP.