Increase the clearance height and increase the clearance width: by carrying out these two simple measures, De Vlaamse Waterweg wanted to make all the bridges over the Albert Canal more accessible to container vessels. That included the railway bridge in Kuringen: the old bridge which actually consisted of two separate railway bridges alongside each other was replaced with a single imposing arch bridge.
Herbosch-Kiere was responsible for all the civil engineering works required in order to construct the new railway bridge. The new bridge is 2 m higher than the two old bridges while the canal underneath the bridge is 36 m wider. The contract therefore consisted of a number of elements: pile driving in order to widen the canal, earthworks in order to make the railway embankment higher, the construction of new concrete abutments and tunnels, the installation of a temporary diaphragm wall panelling for the retention of one of the existing bridges, etc.
Click here to see drone footage of the site.
Click here to view the timelapse footage of the installation of the bridge.