It is an icon of our country.
A structure spanning 32 kilometres
one that has kept the Netherlands safe for over 80 years.
That is something to be proud of.
A wonder of the modern world, made of millions of cobblestones.
Laid one by one by thousands of hands.
It was built to keep the sea out
and to create additional arable land.
The water will always try to reclaim The Netherlands.
By building our dikes,
we the Dutch, have made it possible to live below sea level.
To ensure our future safety
we are reinforcing the Afsluitdijk.
Once on every 10,000 years a storm can hit unlike any other.
That is what the dike will protect us from.
In order to drain excess water from the IJsselmeer into the Wadden Sea
we are building what will be Europe’s largest pumping station within the dike,
which will be ready to pump out water should the need arise.
The Afsluitdijk will become a place
where safety goes hand in hand with unique innovations.
A place where we strive towards achieving sustainable energy.
This is where we will harness the inexhaustible power of the current.
And we are the only nation in the world that generates electricity
from the convergence of freshwater and saltwater.
We will be helping our wildlife too with the creation of the Fish Migration River.
Fish will be able to reach their natural spawning grounds and habitats.
This is what we are capable of:
a large-scale, hydraulic work of art that is ready for the future.
And that future starts here,
in 2017
with the construction of the New Afsluitdijk.