Antwerp reinforces Scheldt quay walls against flooding through 2032

On 10 August 2026 the Flemish waterway operator De Vlaamse Waterweg began reinforcing and raising the Scheldt quay walls at the Blue Gate Antwerp business park. Along roughly 7 km between Blue Gate and the Droogdokken site the quay walls are being raised by just under one metre to so-called Sigma height; the works are part of the Sigma Plan and, according to Flemish minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA), protect against floods that statistically occur about once every 100 years. The first phase covers three of five zones between the Hobokense Polder and the Q8 filling station on the Petroleumkaai, costs EUR 6.3m and runs until 2027 (the towpath stays closed through 30 June 2027); reinforcement of all quay walls is due to be completed in 2032, after which the City of Antwerp carries out the finishing works. Cost figure and zone boundaries per made-in.be, 10 August 2026. Completion date is a placeholder: according to VRT the first phase is due to be finished during 2027, no exact date given; construction began on 10.08.2026.