The tunnel was built by a consortium of Franki Construct, Heijmans, Royal BAM Group, Philipp Holzmann, TBI Beton- en Waterbouw Voormolen and Wayss & Freytag on behalf of NV Westerscheldetunnel, which is 100% owned by the province of Zeeland. The tunnel was opened on 14 March 2003. Since then, the two automobile ferry lines Flushing-Breskens and Kruiningen-Perkpolder, operated by the Provincial Steamboat Service, have been discontinued. The Western Scheldt Tunnel is a bored tunnel and consists of two tubes which were excavated by a tunnel boring machine. Each tube has two car lanes without a hard shoulder. Every 250 metres, the two tunnel tubes are connected by lateral connections. Normally the cross-connections are closed and locked. In an emergency, the doors unlock automatically. The traffic in the left driving lane of the other tunnel is stopped, allowing people to walk safely into the other tunnel. The Western Scheldt Tunnel is diameter, long, with on the south end a stretch of road with an uphill grade of 4.5%. The maximum clearance is. The tunnel reaches its deepest point under the Pas van Terneuzen shipping lane, below water level. For both directions, the toll is collected near Borssele, near the northend of the tunnel.
Bus services
The tunnel is not accessible for pedestrians, cyclists or moped riders; however, there are bus services and on request bicycles and mopeds can be transported in the bus and a trailer, respectively. Public transport nodes are Tolplein on the north bank and Terneuzen Busstation on the south bank. Bus services through these nodes are provided by Connexxion:
Bus 20: Goes-Tolplein-Terneuzen bus station-Sluiskil-Sas van Gent-Zelzate
Emergency vehicles and military vehicles are toll-free. Reduced tolls are available for subscribers. That is more expensive than the ferry over the Western Scheldt that operated before the tunnel was opened. As well, there is no reduced toll for residents of Zeelandic Flanders. Correct as of 12/04/2014
In April 2006, Zeelandic Flanders citizens in cooperation with the Socialist Party of Terneuzen established the Lawsuit Committee Tunnel Toll-Free. The purpose of this lawsuit is first to oppose the sale of the tunnel and secondly to make the tunnel toll free.
