Hartel Barrier
The Hartel Barrier is located in the Hartelkanaal near Spijkenisse and consists of a large and a small sluice, which can be lowered into the water to close off the Hartelkanaal
The Hartel Barrier, together with the Maeslant Barrier and the Rozenburg dike widening, forms the barrier of the Europoort.
The Hartelkering in statistics
- Built between 1991 and 1997
- 150 metres long
- Two steel sluices, 49.3 and 98 metres wide
- Can withstand a water level of 3 metres above sea level
Origin
The Hartel Barrier was not part of the original Delta Plan. That plan assumed that the Nieuwe Waterweg always had to remain open for shipping traffic to Rotterdam and Antwerp. However, new calculations showed that the dikes along the Nieuwe Waterweg were not high enough, and raising them would have meant sacrificing existing buildings and cultural heritage.
As a result, alternative solutions were considered to keep the Port of Rotterdam accessible. This led to a combination of dike reinforcement at Rozenburg and two movable barriers: the Maeslant Barrier and the Hartel Barrier. The Maeslant Barrier absorbs the first blows from the sea, and the Hartel Barrier prevents seawater from flowing into the hinterland via the Hartelkanaal.
Construction
The Hartel Barrier was built right next to the existing Hartel Bridge (N218). The barrier consists of four hoist towers, with two steel sluices, 49.3 and 98 metres wide, between them to stop the water. The hoist towers were made using prefabricated elements that were produced elsewhere and then transported to the site. This allowed them to be assembled in just a few weeks. This was very quick, especially for hoist towers that were the tallest in Europe at the time of construction!
Functioning
The steel sluices can be raised to over 14 metres above sea level, allowing most ships to pass underneath. They have an oval shape to withstand the large forces exerted on them. Since the sluices catch a lot of wind, a windscreen has been built for the nearby bridge.
The Hartel Barrier can withstand a water level of over 3 metres above sea level. This is lower than the Maeslant Barrier, as a higher level would pose too great a risk of flooding in the Europoort area. If the water does rise higher and flows over the barrier, the hinterland area can efficiently manage the excess water.
Beerdam
Before the construction of the Hartel Barrier, the Europoort area was protected by the Beerdam. This dam separated the salty water in the Mississippi Harbour from the freshwater in the Hartelkanaal. It also created a division between sea traffic and inland shipping, which made transloading a time-consuming process.
With the construction of the Hartel Barrier, it became possible to partially remove the Beerdam. This created the Beergat. The Hartelkanaal became a brackish water canal. Inland shipping could now directly reach the transfer points in the Europoort or even transload directly from a sea vessel.
