Noorderlijn - A look behind the scenes

We broke up the paving of the Frankrijklei. Several times a day, our trucks carried away demolition materials to one of our stockpiles in Antwerp.

Our material handlers – CAT 325 and Sennebogen 835 – can excavate up to 17 m deep. Ideal for the “Stross” excavations of the tram tunnel under the Frankrijklei.

On several occasions, we encountered the city’s rich history in the course of this project. For instance, we demolished the remnants of the 16th century Spanish fortifications to make room for the new tramline. Nevertheless, the medieval city wall remains visible. Anyone taking the metro in future, will be able to see the medieval city wall under the Operaplein (Opera Square) for example. There, the medieval city wall has been integrated into the design.

We stored demolition materials and soil – such as those from the Frankrijklei – on a few designated stockpiles. In a later stage, we will reuse them for road fill during the construction of the tram tunnels and new roads.

At the end of April, Aannemingsbedrijf Aertssen tackled the Noorderlaan. We excavated the sand bed where the new tram and bus lanes will be constructed.