Page 253 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

ZEELAND  251

Concrete Piers
The piers were VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
made on the
artificial island of Practical Information
Neeltje Jans and Road Map A4–5. Deltapark
then transported Neeltje Jans, Faelweg 5,
by special barges Vrouwenpolder.
to their destination. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–5:30pm
This mighty task daily; Nov–Mar: 10am–5pm Wed,
attracted a great Sat & Sun. & 7 - 0 =
deal of attention. Transport
@ 133.

The Delta Works
The Delta Works have had far-
reaching consequences for the
landscape and environment. The
Zeeland islands, having been
joined to the mainland, are no
longer isolated.

Half-open Buttress Dam
It took 13 years and €3.6 billion (two-thirds
of the cost of the Delta Works) to build the
Oosterschelde kering. After much deliberation,
the decision was made to keep open the
estuary and to preserve the salty estuary
habitat. A half-open multiple buttress dam
was built, with 62 sliding gates, which are
closed on average once a year during heavy
storms. This keeps the water salty and has
preserved the unique salt marshes and mud
flats of the Oosterschelde.
KEY
1 Concrete piers bear the sea wall.
2 The sliding gates are closed only
when the water is high.
3 A road has been built over
the dam.
4 Ground protection prevents the
earth from being washed away.
5 The piers rest on
solid foundations.

The Terps
Man-made mounds,
such as these near Borssele,
were built in the 11th and 12th
centuries to protect farms and
villages from the water.

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