The container traffic to the port of Antwerp was rapidly increasing and the transit of vessels through the locks to the traditional container terminal incurred considerable time losses. Therefore, Noord Natie charged IMDC with an analysis of the possibilities for constructing a second container terminal along the Scheldt north of the main access locks to the port. The pre-feasibility study evaluated the major problems of the projects, namely:
nautical accessibility of the site and interaction problems with the traffic through
the locks and to the first terminal south of these locks,
hydraulic situation of the site,
morphological situation of the site (siltation problems),
environmental identification of the project.
Based on this preliminary identification study, three alternative solutions with different length and layout, were retained for further investigation.
After a first comparison the pro's and cons of these alternatives a first estimate of the investment costs was drawn up for three different construction methods:
