The Europort Barrier

The Europort Barrier will shortly protect the delta area against flooding through the Europort area, with its direct connection to the sea.

The Europort Barrier is not a continuous dike but contains stretches of more elevated land that are officially designated as sea defences. In contrast to most other barriers, the Europort barrier does not need to be a high or strong dike. A certain amount of water is allowed to flow over it: the delta area further inland provides an adequate buffer for the water. Part of the Europort Barrier is the Hartel Barrier, a storm surge barrier in the Hartel Canal.

Once the Hartel Barrier is complete, another plan can be realised: a breakthrough is made in the Beer Dam at the mouth of the Beer Canal in order to provide a direct link for inland shipping with the seaports on the Maasvlakte.

In order to hold back the seawater, which is then admitted directly, the Brielse Maas Dike needs to be elevated.