False Sense of Security?

This is the Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier in the Nieuwe Waterweg, the entrance to the Rotterdam Harbour. Costs ? 660 million to build, so excluding the yearly 20 million or so for maintenance. In the past 12 years of its existance it closed once seriously for protection, and once every year for tests.

And then you hear that they think the damn thing will malfunction more often than expected! What?! Malfunction?! It has to work once in many years and it can malfunction?

Well it's still a quite impressive piece of engineering, and I guess it does protect us a bit. Quite important, given the fact that half the country is below sea-level...