Rotterdam to expand inland shipping connection

The Breeddiep, an inland shipping connection at the mouth of the Port of Rotterdam, will be expanded to 350 meters wide by the end of 2016.    The Breeddiep, a 75-meter wide inland shipping connection between the Splitsingsdam and the Rozenburg Peninsula at the mouth of the Port of Rotterdam, will be widened to 350 meters to calm current and increase capacity, the Port of Rotterdam Authority said in a statement.
   Commissioning parties include the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
   The investment, estimated at approximately 16 million euros (U.S. $14.46 million), will be funded equally by the government and the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
   Rotterdam said it will select a contractor at the end of the year and expects the project to be completed by the end of 2016.
   Due to visibility issues, only one-way traffic is currently possible through the connection under supervision of the Hoek van Holland Traffic Center. 50,000 ships a year use this connection, most of which are inland vessels.
   “The connection is becoming increasingly popular, because the Hartel Canal – the main artery for inland shipping traffic – has a height restriction for ships loaded with 4 layers of containers, depending on the water level,” the Port of Rotterdam Authority said in a statement.