They have been busy for two years now, through all kinds of weather: Jan Kok and Patrick van der Wiel are laying 1.2 million stones together on the Afsluitdijk. Jan is the stone setter and Patrick the crane operator. “We always continue, unless the work is stopped by the Implementation”, says Jan, “but otherwise it just continues. Don’t whine, but stomp.”
In total, both men installed about 1.2 million so-called ‘quatroblocks’ to protect the north side of the Afsluitdijk against the Wadden Sea. The guys have been working on it for two years. “You shouldn’t do this all your life,” says Patrick, “it will get boring. But I’ll soon have filled the entire dike with blocks! That’s beautiful.”
Jan estimates that they will be busy until December. “I don’t get bored for a day. When we have put some meters well again and it is all neat, then I go home with a good feeling.”
The Afsluitdijk in 32 stories
Over the next four years, the Afsluitdijk will undergo a major renovation. The dike will be strengthened and raised to protect the Netherlands against seawater in the future as well. NH Media and Omrop Fryslân, in collaboration with Rijkswaterstaat and De Nieuwe Afsluitdijk, tell the story of this iconic building in 32 reports, equal to the number of kilometers covered by the Afsluitdijk. Through the eyes of the people who deal with the dike every day. Look at here all stories.
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