Utrecht prioritizes water transport over sinking roads for city center deliveries

Lennard Kiel, a logistics supervisor at Kade Zuid port in Utrecht, keeps a watchful eye on the water. His job is to coordinate the loading of ships that will deliver goods to the city center. Since January, Boon's Dagmarkt supermarket has been the first canal-side shop in Utrecht to receive its supplies by water.

“

I keep an eye out for colleagues arriving so we can load the ship.

Kiel describes the early morning view of the Dom Tower from the ship as one of the most beautiful sights. Utrecht's ambition is to supply all businesses along the Oudegracht, the city's most famous historic street, via water. A three-year trial will assess the financial and operational viability of this approach.

“

The morning light on the Dom was so beautiful.

Nawin Harpal, owner of Boon's Markt in Utrecht's city center, believes the initiative should have started a decade earlier. Road deliveries have become nearly impossible for his store. Since 2023, the city has actively protected its wharf cellars from subsidence, installing bollards to prevent heavy vehicles from driving on the Oudegracht. Trucks weighing over 3,500 kilograms risk sinking into the quays.

“

We should have done this ten years earlier.

The municipality of Utrecht is undertaking a massive renovation project in the wharf area. Until 2050, they will restore quay walls, bank walls, lock walls, and cellars. Construction workers are implementing measures to prevent damage to heritage sites and improve management. The cost of renovating quay walls across the Netherlands is projected to reach 16 billion euros by 2100, significantly impacting provinces like North Holland, South Holland, and Utrecht.

“

As a city, we have no choice, it is our heritage.