Since June 2008 building activities have been taking place at Wiener Hafen Freudenau (Port of Vienna). First, the 1.5-kilometres pier has already been made waterproof with 30 metres deep walls. And second the port is currently building the base and a gate chamber for a 26.5 metres long, 13.5 metres high and nearly 2 metres thick port gate made of steel, weighing 200 tons in total. Combined with a pumping system, showing a performance of more than three cubic metres of water per second, the equipment can protect the port even from a possible next “flood of the century”. 

“In October 2009 we are expecting the delivery of the gate divided in to six or seven part loads. This is when the sliding gate will be built in”, Managing Director Walter Edinger explained when speaking to the Österreichische Verkehrszeitung (Austrian Transport Magazine). The electrical control elements will be installed between January and March 2010. The trial operation period of three months shall start by April 2010. 

The reason for the building project was the flood in 2002, when the Danube burst its banks by around 1 metre, and hence caused a damage of around EUR 3 million at the port. The Wiener Hafen invests a total sum of around EUR 20 million into flood protection.

Quelle: Österreichische Verkehrszeitung