Saint Anna Tunnel

For the construction of the Sint-Anna tunnel, the village of Vlaams Hoofd was located on the left bank of the Scheldt, a hamlet of Zwijndrecht with its own railway station and ferry services to Antwerp. “In 1929, the Intermunicipal Company of the Left Schelde Bank (Imalso) was established. This began the systematic raising of the entire area and the demolition of the existing buildings. New streets and connecting roads were created, inspired among others by the architect Le Corbusier,” Tom explains. “The village had, among other things, a casino and mussel restaurants and was a popular destination in the early 20th century. The connection with the right bank was made by boat: with the Sint-Annekens boat or the train ferry “Pietje Waas”. Plans for a bridge were repeatedly shelved until a decision was made in 1931 to construct a tunnel. It was hand-excavated in the Boom clay and opened in 1933. Many original elements, such as the wooden escalators and elevators, have been preserved.

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