26-09-2014

On 12 and 26 September 2014, KOTUG towed the two new Botlek bridge deck part to its destination near Rotterdam.

The bridge decks are part of a construction of the new Botlek Bridge, built at the Mammoet yard in Schiedam. After the bridge decks were loaded onto the barge, KOTUG’s Rotortugs RT Magic and RT Spirit towed both decks from Schiedam to the construction site in the river “Oude-Maas” near Rotterdam. The construction-site is located up-river the old “Botlek-bridge”.

The barge with its cargo being just over 57 meters with a bridge clearance of 58 meters (approximately 10 meters above water level), there was only 30cm margins at both sides of the old Botlek-bridge passage manoeuvring space left.

Therefore, very precise maneuvering was required from the tugs and their tow masters. Maximum manoeuvering and a minimum reaction delay were achieved while operating this way.

The manoeuvrability in confined areas has been significantly improved due to the patented Rotortug concept, which benefits the safety of the bridge sections and all surrounding objects. The design of the Rotortug shows that the power can be delivered by rotating the thrusters rather than the tug itself, which saves space and manoeuvring time. A real advantage for a narrow lock or bridge passage and assisting in confined areas.