December 2016 - The Vleutensebaan connection in Utrecht has been opened to cars and buses. This new road will ease travel between Leidsche Rijn (a large new district in the west of Utrecht) and the city centre, thus improving local mobility for cyclists, public transport users and motorists. The road will be opened to cyclists as of the end of December. On behalf of Van Wijk Nieuwegein, Iv-Infra is producing the final design, draft specifications and execution plans for the civil engineering works and the retaining walls in this project. Iv-Infra is also preparing the draft specifications for the site elevations and the spatial configurations. Iv-Infra is mainly contributing its expertise in concrete structures, geo-engineering and spatial planning. Within the construction team, Iv-Infra also provides advice on engineering and cost optimisations, risks and controls.
Challenging and multidisciplinary project
Iv-Infra project leader/design leader Dirk Feenstra explains the nature of the project: “This last section of the Vleutensebaan connection is the missing link in the infrastructure between Hogeweide Bridge and a street called Belcampostraat. This east-west connection includes various civil engineering works and is directly adjacent to and at the same level as the Utrecht-Vleuten railway line. The Vleutensebaan connection crosses the Stadsbaan Tunnel and the A2 motorway land tunnel. Later it will be completely integrated in the built-up area to the south and the railway zone to the north. In engineering and design terms, this challenging and multidisciplinary project requires close collaboration with all stakeholders. At the moment, we are still working hard on finishing the civil engineering works. In 2017 work will start on the construction and completion of two retaining walls near Rood Noot Farm. In addition, various elements will be added to the east-west connection across the roof of the existing Stadsbaan Tunnel and the A2 land tunnel, north of the railway line. These elements will include a stairway/lift connection on the west side of the tunnel.”
Final link
The Vleutensebaan project is part of the Leidsche Rijn Centrum master plan, and is the final link in the connection between the centre of Leidsche Rijn district and Utrecht’s historic city centre. Vleutensebaan has been divided into a section west of the A2 land tunnel (Vleutensebaan West) and a section east of the A2 land tunnel (Vleutensebaan East). To carry out the work for Vleutensebaan West, it is necessary to elevate the site and build three concrete civil engineering works, namely a viaduct across Grauwaartsingel, an underpass in Kopenhagenstraat, and the Brusselplein viaduct. The realisation of Vleutensebaan East also requires elevation of the site and construction of the Nouw 2 concrete civil engineering complex, plus two retaining walls. In the new situation, slow-moving traffic from Lage Weide business park will be routed north of the railway line by realising an east-west connection across the existing Stadsbaan Tunnel and A2 land tunnel.
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