The steel bridges on the A12 motorway over the IJssel near Arnhem are in need of renovation and reinforcement after 60 years. Rijkswaterstaat has awarded the contract to Savera IJsselbruggen, a construction combination of Dura Vermeer and Hollandia Services. The project will be tackled according to the so-called two-phase process, to control the risks as well as possible. Work will start in early 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Renovation of A12 IJssel bridges awarded to ‘Savera IJsselbruggen’
Important link
The A12 motorway is an important east-west connection to and from Germany. The IJssel bridges on the A12 east of Arnhem consist of one concrete bridge for traffic heading west and two steel bridges for traffic heading towards Germany. Some 125,000 vehicles cross these bridges every day. Due to the increased traffic volume and heavier vehicles, it is necessary to reinforce and renovate the 2 steel IJssel bridges. In 2017, it appeared that the bearing capacity was deteriorating. Since then, Rijkswaterstaat has been inspecting the steel bridges regularly and carrying out maintenance and strengthening measures where necessary.
Two-phase process
The renovation is a pilot within the programme ‘Towards a Vital Infrastructure Sector‘. In this programme, Rijkswaterstaat and private parties are committed to a transition to an infrastructure sector that is sustainable and innovative, financially healthy and where the risks inherent in infrastructure projects are properly managed. The IJssel bridge renovation project is one of the projects in which experience is gained with the two-phase process. In phase 1, Rijkswaterstaat and Savera IJssel bridges jointly produce the design, whereby uncertainties are removed by, for example, additional research. On the basis of the design, the definitive price is agreed with a risk profile that is acceptable to both parties. Then, in phase 2, the project is actually carried out jointly.
Collaboration
Because the Rijkswaterstaat and Savera IJsselbrggen teams will be working together intensively throughout the project, a great deal of attention was paid to cooperation during the tender process. Savera IJssel Bridges’ good score on the cooperation assessment, one of the criteria in the award process, therefore had a major influence on the Rijkswaterstaat’s choice of this construction consortium.
Michèle Blom, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, said, ‘We are faced with the enormous task of tackling all the older bridges, locks and dams. The IJssel bridges are no longer the youngest, dating from 1961. And that means we know in broad outline what needs to be done, but we don’t know exactly how extensive the damage is or how much repair is needed. This two-phase contract is intended to discover that together with the contractor combination. It should contribute to better predictability and fewer surprises during the execution, so that we can deliver on time and within budget. Ultimately, this also benefits the end user.’
Ronald van den Berg, Director Hollandia Services: ‘From Savera IJssel bridges we are happy with the choice of the two-phase process for risk management. In order to also optimally control the safety aspects, we will carry out this project as a combination on step 4 of the Safety Culture ladder, together with all parties in the chain.’
Renovation without extra disruption
Since January 2020, Rijkswaterstaat has been redistributing traffic across the IJssel bridges to spare the steel bridges. At the moment, traffic is driving over the concrete bridge and the middle (steel) bridge. This will spare the outer steel bridge. This situation will change around the end of 2021. Traffic will then pass over the concrete bridge and outer steel bridge so that the middle (steel) bridge can be renovated and strengthened. When this renovation is complete, Rijkswaterstaat will guide traffic over the concrete bridge and the middle bridge again. Then the outer steel bridge will be renovated. In this way, the renovation will take place without additional inconvenience for road users. After the renovation, four lanes of traffic will again be available in both directions.
Replacement and renovation
The renovation of the A12 IJssel bridges is part of Rijkswaterstaat’s Replacement and Renovation project. Many bridges, tunnels, locks and viaducts date back to the 1950s and 1960s. Over the years, they have also been subjected to heavy loads due to the increasing volume and intensity of traffic. This has increased the likelihood of failures and so they are now being strengthened, renewed or replaced. To carry out this task, Rijkswaterstaat makes as much use as possible of smart and sustainable technologies. Rijkswaterstaat is working on the infrastructure for future generations so that we can continue to travel from A to B smoothly and safely.
For more information, see the Rijkswaterstaat page.