On Sunday, the eighth and final element of the immersed Scheldt tunnel in Antwerp was successfully lowered into place. This is a technically demanding operation in which massive concrete tunnel sections are floated into position, then carefully sunk and connected on the riverbed.
The final element was inserted between elements six and eight, and there was only 25 centimeters of clearance on each side, underscoring the precision involved. This marks the completion of the tunnel’s immersion phase — one of the most complex parts of the entire Oosterweel project.
European benchmark
This immersion marks a psychological and technical turning point because it is the most visible and risky engineering phase. It reinforces Oosterweel’s reputation as a European benchmark in large-scale civil engineering.
The tunnel under the river Scheldt is often described as the flagship structure of Oosterweel because it completes the Antwerp ring road. It is 1.8 kilometers long and introduces separate, future-proof infrastructure for different users.
Weather-proof river crossing
It consists of two tunnels for car traffic, an emergency or evacuation tunnel, and a six-meter-wide tunnel for cyclists – a European first at this scale. Cyclists will be able to use the tunnel first from 2028, with car traffic following in 2030. For cyclists, the tunnel creates a fast, weather-proof river crossing and strengthens Antwerp’s cycling network.
The Oosterweel Connection is a decades-long infrastructure project designed to complete the Antwerp ring road, improve mobility across Flanders, reduce pollution, and improve urban quality of life. The Oosterweel link will be fully completed in 2033 and should relieve chronic congestion at the Kennedy Tunnel and Antwerp ring.
As Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) put it, the Scheldt tunnel is not just a link in the ring road, but the showpiece of a once-in-a-generation project. “The Oosterweel project is the construction site of the century, unique in Flanders, if not in Europe, and is an example of exceptional civil engineering and remarkable innovation,” he added.
