If you are familiar with Belgian traffic, the E40 highway is no stranger. The E40 connects ten European countries and has a long history in Belgium. This history was in need of renewal according to the Roads and Traffic Agency. Most definitely the part around Erpe-Mere. Jan De Nul and subsidiary Soetaert, together with Stadsbader, took on this project and rebuilt two bridges.
Accurate, Well-thought-out, precise
A thorough planning was key for this two-part renovation work. The most important question? Getting all the constructions done with as little hindrance as possible for the existing train- and highway traffic. The finished product makes sure that the safety of both is guaranteed and that the structure is fitted for modern traffic.
New railroad bridge
This bridge over the railway dates back to halfway of the previous century. Therefore, it was placed on the Flemish list of bridges, tunnels, and retaining walls in need of replacement – along with the second part of this project. The mission consisted of modernizing the bridge, making it safer, and creating three lanes and an emergency lane. The biggest challenge? Planning the demolishment and reconstruction of the bridge while train traffic remained undisturbed and there was minimal hindrance to the highway traffic. The second challenge lied within the active train tracks right beside the site. Even though nearly 500 foundation piles of 14 metres long had to be driven into the ground, the constructions were conducted successfully and without any hindrance.
The project proceeded in several phases. First, we built a temporary bridge. This way traffic could be partially diverted while the construction took place. Afterward, we demolished the bridge step by step. Once the bridge towards Brussels was finalised, the temporary bridge was demolished, and we could cover the next part towards Ostend. All while the train traffic on the underlying railroads continued as usual. The last step included installing noise barriers to offer more comfort for the local residents. Our subsidiary and foundation expert Soetaert was jointly responsible for the demolition and foundation of this project.
New local bridge
The bridge forms a connection between the Merestraat and Blauwenbergstraat over the E40. This operation was also meticulously executed. Thus, we conducted the most extensive work – the placement of the six girders – in a timeframe of 12 hours. We performed an engineered lift to install these mastodonts of 44 metres long and 110 tonnes heavy. This involved using two cranes to do the lifting work. As such, they had to cooperate precisely to instal the girders. This as well required precise working because there were only centimetres to spare.
We placed the abutments further apart so the underlying E40 could be widened. This way, an emergency lane was created on each direction. On top of that, we made the bridge safer by creating a bicycle lane.
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