What happened?

Last year, the project team of the Water Board took the first steps to start working on the dike reinforcement of the Harbour Dike. The first meetings were held with entrepreneurs along the dike to hear what is going on, contact was made with the co-governments and coordination was sought with the Maritime Cluster. Intensive cooperation was also started with the Port of Den Helder since, as manager of a large part of the dike, they have a lot of knowledge. Furthermore, the technical team has been working hard to obtain a so-called 'stable scope', so that it is clear where the dike no longer meets the standard and which 'failure mechanisms' are involved. A dike can fail or break in different ways, which is called a failure mechanism.

The information gathered was incorporated into a Plan of Action to apply for a grant from the Flood Protection Program for the first phase of this project. We call this the exploration phase. This is because the Harbour Dike is a primary barrier and will be reinforced under the national High Water Protection Program (HWBP). The projects in this program are carried out by 21 water boards and Rijkswaterstaat. More information can be found at: https://www.hwbp.nl/. The Plan of Approach has been approved and the exploration phase is therefore underway.

Notification of intention and participation

From January 1, 2024, the Omgevingswet will be in effect. Part of this is publishing a "Notice of Intent and Participation" in the Water Board Bulletin. This publication indicates that the Water Board has started a project and also indicates how the surrounding area can pass on ideas, wishes and points of interest. If you would like to pass on any issues yourself, you can do so through the environment manager of this project, Romee Huisman. The contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter. The notification and the communication and participation plan can be found on our website.

Walk-in meeting

On Thursday, November 23, the Havendijk project team hosted the first walk-in meeting of the exploration phase. With thanks to the Port of Den Helder, the meeting could be held at the Port's office in the middle of the project area. The project team together with employees of the Port of Den Helder were on hand to explain and answer questions. We look back on a valuable walk-in meeting. A total of 20 people visited, from water sports associations to entrepreneurs and residents. It is always interesting to hear what is going on in the area and what we as the project team need to take into account. 

Tender exploration phase

The exploration phase of this project is not being carried out by the Water Board alone. To make this phase a success, we are supported by the combination TAUW and IV-Infra. Beforehand, we went through a European tendering procedure and they emerged as the best combination in terms of value for money. Last December the Project Start Up (PSU) took place and we are officially underway. We are looking forward to working together in the coming period to design this important dike reinforcement in the port area of Den Helder.