Where in Zuidas
The railway track and motorway at Zuidas were built on a dike partly made up of rubble. Soil surveys have been conducted at various places in the dike in recent months. The information this provides will prove invaluable, because we will be doing a lot of work in the dike in the years ahead. After all, the new station passageway, the Brittenpassage, is being built right through the dike.
Rubble deep underground
During the 11-day closure of the A10 Zuid, we are working on the foundations for the new station passageway. Alongside numerous foundation piles, we are also inserting over 80 sheet piles deep into the ground. In the years ahead, we will be digging the passenger tunnel. We know that we are mainly working in a clean layer of sand and that there is some contamination in the deeper layers of the dike. We are therefore taking measures in order to ensure that any pollution or contamination we encounter either stays where it is or is properly disposed of.
Measures
Any contaminated soil will be disposed of separately and stored in separate depots. The subsoil at this kind of depot is covered with foil and the top is kept wet and covered. In order to prevent contaminated soil being spread around, we are cleaning road plates and vehicles before leaving the site. Workers who may have to deal with contaminated soil have a medical check in advance in order to monitor their health during the work. There are also special overalls, gloves, boots and a boot bath. So, the difference in workers’ clothing is because of the nature of the work – a welder has to wear a special welding jacket and mask, for example – and the ground in which we are working.
What happens to the soil we dig up?
During this 11-day period of work, any soil removed will basically be returning to where it came from: under the A10 Zuid. Only heavily contaminated soil will be removed and taken in sealed trucks to an accredited processing company. Soil consultants have been closely involved in preparing the work with us, environmental experts are observing execution and the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service is monitoring to ensure we are doing the work properly.
Watch live
Anyone currently watching the webcam can therefore occasionally expect to spot people in blue work attire. The major works underway at Amsterdam Zuid station can be viewed live until 3 August. Starting from 2 August, we will replace the track and the A10. By the morning rush hour on 3 August, drivers will be travelling on a fresh layer of asphalt.
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