Exceptional transport operation in Zeijerveen (NL)

In Rotterdam, both transformers were transshipped to smaller barges with destination Assen. After a few days, the convoy arrived at the transshipment facility at the Noord-Willems canal, especially set up for the occasion.

There, the 350-tonne crawler crane of Wagenborg Nedlift was ready to lift the heavy colossi out of the ship. Ready to start the final part of the journey and to overcome the biggest challenge yet: passing under the A28 viaduct.

The route from the transshipment site to the Zeijerveen transformer station is barely 2 kilometres long. But what if the final destination is exactly on the other side of the A28 motorway? And the clearing height of the viaduct is 4.60 metres while the height of the transformer is 4.52 metres?

This special challenge asked for a unique transport solution from Wagenborg Nedlift's transport specialists: a girder bridge. This is a very special transport construction that allows heavy loads to 'suspend' between two side beams, transporting them very low above the ground.

It was the first time that such a girder bridge was used in the Netherlands. This transport equipment is mainly used in England and Germany. There, destinations are often further away from a waterway connection than in the Netherlands, resulting in more obstacles en route. The girder bridge, weighing 135 tonnes, was brought in from England especially for transporting the transformers in Zeijerveen!

Late in the evening, the time had come: the complete transport combination was ready for departure. Such an awe-inspiring colossus! One truck at the front, followed by a 10-axle trailer carrying the front section of the girder bridge, then the transformer in the girder bridge, then rear section of the girder bridge, and another 10-axle trailer followed by truck at the rear. A transport combination with a length of 67 metres and a weight of 460 tonnes!

It then came down to the steering skills and craftsmanship of the transport specialists. With extreme precision, they managed to manoeuvre the colossal combination along the carefully-prepared route. At the viaduct, things looked tense: with a margin of barely a few centimetres, the transformer slid under the viaduct at walking pace. A perfect fit!