Why a barrier in the Europort area?
The decision to construct a storm surge barrier in the New Waterway also necessitated a barrier in the Europort area. Otherwise, when the New Waterway Storm Surge Barrier is closed, too much seawater can flow in through the Europort area and the safety of South Holland becomes threatened.During the same period - the late 1980s - the Rotterdam Municipal Port Management explored ways of improving the inland shipping links between the Maasvlakte and the hinterland, to cope with the growth in container and bulk transhipment. In conditions of wind force 5 or more the existing shipping routes to the Maasvlakte are unsafe, and the ensuing delays would detract from the competitiveness of the Port of Rotterdam.
The Department of Public Works and Water Management and the Rotterdam Municipal Port Management jointly explore a solution. This takes the form of a barrier in the Europort area and creating an opening in the Beer Dam.
These projects have various consequences: