In the Maas, near Hout-Blerick and Tegelen between the Romeinenweg and Watermunt, an unexploded ordnance has been discovered by ECG.

It is a so-called 500-pounder, an aerial bomb from the Second World War. The aerial bomb lies about 5 m below the water line and was discovered on Wednesday 31 May 2017 during work to widen the navigation channel of the Maas near Venlo. The Explosives Clearing Service of the Ministry of Defence (EODD) will dismantle the bomb on Sunday 24 September 2017.

The explosive has not caused any danger or nuisance for the time being. The bomb has been lying at the bottom of the Maas for 73 years and is safe there. In consultation with Venlo municipality, it was decided in the first instance to leave the explosive undisturbed for the time being and to mark it with a marker buoy. Shipping can continue. On the day that the explosive is cleared, a short obstruction for shipping will be in force.

The nuisance for local residents is limited. Partly because the water has a dampening effect, there is no need to evacuate people. However, the residents of about 50 homes will have to stay indoors for a while, as their homes are within a radius of 252 m of the safety zone. Otherwise, the work area is, of course, not accessible.

Dismantling

On Sunday morning 24 September at 08.00 hours, air traffic and shipping will be stopped. Half an hour later, the safety zone will be closed; the police will guard the area. At 09.00 hours the dismantling will start. It is not possible to say for sure how long this will take. Once the detonator has been removed, the signal will be given that the area is safe and the area will be released. The bomb will then be transported by work boat to the Ankerkade (port of Blerick). From there, the load will be transported by truck to the explosive site on Newtonweg, in the armpit of the Zaarderheiken interchange, where the bomb will be detonated safely.

Second World War Explosives

Explosives from the Second World War are regularly found in and around Venlo. Research shows that such conventional explosives (CE) are also present at the bottom of the Maas. Both Rijkswaterstaat and the contractor will handle this with care during work on the fairway of the Maas. A CE Project Plan was also prepared for this purpose and approved by the Venlo and Peel en Maas municipalities. When the explosive was found, the protocol in the project plan was followed correctly. The surrounding area was never in danger.

Widening of fairway Maas

The fairway of the River Maas near Venlo will be deepened and widened to allow larger ships to cross or pass freely. Work started in May and the entire project will be completed by the end of 2018. The detection of explosives had already started in February.

Source: www.rijkswaterstaat.nl (dated 15 September 2017)
Photo: Royal Netherlands Army (archive photo)