Oesterdam

Oesterdam
The Oesterdam
Coordinates51°28′43.4″N 4°13′11.6″E / 51.478722°N 4.219889°E / 51.478722; 4.219889
CarriesN659 road
CrossesEastern Scheldt Estuary
OwnerRijkswaterstaat
Characteristics
Total length10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi)
History
Engineering design byDeltadienst
Constructed bySeveral contractors, including:
Zanen Verstoep,
Baggermaatschappij Holland bv, and
Volker Stevin Baggeren
Construction start1979
Construction end1986
Opened1989 (fully open with N569 road constructed over the dam)
Location
Map

The Oesterdam (English: Oyster Dam) is a compartmentalisation dam in The Netherlands, situated between Tholen and South Beveland in the eastern part of the Eastern Scheldt. The dam, with a length of 10.5 kilometres, is the longest structure built for the Delta Works. The Oesterdam was necessitated, like the Philipsdam, after the decision was taken to close off the Eastern Scheldt with a storm surge barrier, rather than a solid dam.

The dam contains a large sluice, the Bergse Diepsluis, and is located adjacent to a pair of sluices at Kreekrak, where about 80,000 ships pass every year.