Van Oord has been commissioned by the Netherlands' Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) to build almost four kilometres of longitudinal dams and create approximately 31 hectares of tidal area in the Dutch Scheur River.
Van Oord said the project will restore habitat for fish, birds and aquatic plants and contribute to protecting and improving water quality.
The company will design and construct two longitudinal dams by Maassluis and Rozenburg in the Scheur River. Sand will be deposited between the longitudinal dams and the existing bank, and the bank will be raised in a number of places, creating new tidal nature.
Along the river at Rozenburg and Maassluis, openings will be made in the existing groynes, enhancing tidal nature.
Van Oord will work with various partners including its subsidiaries Paans Van Oord and Van Oord Grondstoffen. The company will reuse rocks from its own projects to reduce transport distances and environmental impact.
Implementation of the project will start in the third quarter of 2026 and last until the summer of 2027. Rijkswaterstaat will oversee the project as part of the EU's water framework directive, which obliges member states to ensure clean and healthy groundwater and surface water by 2027.
