Building a tunnel involves a lot of work

Project manager Reijer van der Eijk has been involved in this project since 2019. He is responsible for the design, assembly, commissioning and testing of the traffic and tunnel technical installations (VTTI). Reijer explains what is involved in the construction of a tunnel and what he loves about his job.

Have you been working at Ballast Nedam for a long time?

"For almost 15 years now. After studying Civil Engineering at TU Delft, I first worked at a consultancy firm for just under ten years. I was then hired by large clients and contractors, but as an external you are often a bit further away from the primary process. That is why I decided to apply for a job at Ballast Nedam Infra Projects in 2009. I had another application pending, but I had the best click with Ballast Nedam."

So the choice was quickly made?

"Yes, not much later I started as a process manager at Infra Projects. I felt right at home here. The first major project I worked on was project A15 Maasvlakte-Vaanplein. Then came project A9 Gaasperdammerweg. And since 2019, I have been working as a project manager on project A24 Blankenburgverbinding. So basically, I have rolled from one very technically challenging project into another."

What exactly do you do at project A24 Blankenburg connection?

"Simply put, together with my team I make sure that everything in the VTTI field goes well, safely and on time. There is a lot involved in the construction of a tunnel. For instance, the Holland Tunnel has as many as 20 different technical installations that are controlled centrally from the tunnel control. Through complex software, all these installations are connected to each other and made operable."

Can you give some examples of tunnel technical installations?

"For example, it contains pumping systems to drain rainwater, ventilation systems, emergency telephones, loudspeakers, cameras and a central control desk of Rijkswaterstaat. Everything to make traffic through the tunnel as safe as possible. We are now testing all these installations extensively. And what we learn here, we can use again for the second tunnel in this project, the Maasdeltatunnel."

Are you also working on the Meuse Delta Tunnel?

"Yes, I am also involved in the construction of the Maas Delta Tunnel. This tunnel will be sunk into the water of the Scheur. So another great challenge in the VTTI field. What do I like most about my work? That it is so dynamic and varied. And it gives me a lot of energy to work on such big spotlight projects."