Dutch Dikes To Get $65 Million Upgrade

Amsterdam – The Dutch Rijnland District Water Control Board, responsible for flood defenses in an area surrounding Amsterdam, tendered a contract today to reinforce 100 kilometers (62 miles) of aging dikes along the North Sea.

Embankments will be widened and stabilizing edges added to the dike’s lower side, the Leiden, Netherlands-based agency said on its website. The 50 million-euro ($65 million) contract work is needed as it’s been 30 years since substantial maintenance and the foundation has sunk considerably, it said.

The district water control board started testing the dikes in 2007 for new, climate-proof norms and has already granted maintenance works for 30 kilometers of dikes.

The works tendered today will start in 2013 and be completed by 2015, the agency said. “Improving the dikes will stimulate the regional economy,” it said.

The Rijnland area covers 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles) of waterways and is bordered on the northwest by the North Sea, according to the water board. The agency also processes wastewater from homes and companies while its pumping stations ensure water is always at safe levels.

This article was written by Martijn van der Starre for Bloomberg news.