The Belgian city of Antwerp has commissioned Movares Water to provide advice on managing wharves in the old city centre. The area encompasses 5.5 km of quayside along the River Scheldt, 8.5 km of docks, 10 bridges, 2 pontoons, 2 piers with a combined length of 2.6 km, and a lock. Part of the area is classified as a historic monument and lies in or adjacent to the area known as the Eilandje.
The Eilandje (literally “little island”, although the area is actually joined to the land around it) is one of the oldest sections of the port of Antwerp, and lies close to the famous city centre. It is known to many as the home of the MAS, the Museum aan de Stroom (Museum by the River). The infrastructure of the Eilandje is currently managed by Havenbedrijf Antwerpen, Antwerp’s port authority. However, this infrastructure, plus part of the Scheldt wharves, will soon be handed over to the city of Antwerp. Movares has conducted a brief survey to discover more about the area that the city will be taking over. The survey assessed the condition of the area, together with the measures the City of Antwerp will have to take, the costs it will incur and the organizational factors it will need to address in order to manage the area to the desired standard.
With a population of over 500.000, Antwerp is the largest city in Belgium and the second most important port in Europe after Rotterdam.
