Where in Zuidas
This work on the Minervapassage is necessary in order to accommodate the growing passenger numbers at Amsterdam Zuid station. For the same reason, we have been working since 2019 on the construction of a second passageway: the Brittenpassage. The Minervapassage will soon be 40 m wide compared to its current 12 m. The passageway will also include shops and a bicycle parking facility. All in all, this is a major and comprehensive refurbishment, which will make a real difference to passengers.
The roof comes first
As has been the case for the Brittenpassage, we are also starting the construction of the Minervapassage with the roof. The roof of the Minervapassage running underneath the metro tracks will be twice as tall as it is now. The roof underneath the railway tracks is already at the right height. In the upcoming weeks, we will therefore be working on the roof, which serves as the deck on which the metro trains run. For this, we will be building a total of three gigantic concrete roof sections on our construction site between the metro tracks. This is being done on site, because the roof sections are extremely large and heavy. As soon each roof section is ready, we will insert it into position: above the Minervapassage, underneath a metro track.
First roof section under construction
We are starting with the section that will run under the tracks of line 52 (the North/South line, see map below: M3/M4). In the summer of 2022, we already raised the height of these tracks and the associated platforms. At the same time, we also moved the start and end point of line 52 in an easterly direction, in order to make room for the much wider roof of the renovated Minervapassage. The Nieuw-Zuid construction consortium is hard at work building this roof section: preparing the reinforcements and then pouring in concrete. When that has been completed, we will move the new roof section in an easterly direction to its position.
Support in the Minervapassage
Before we can insert the new roof section, we first need to build the foundations. For that purpose, we will be driving foundation piles into the ground and building abutments. Preparations for the construction of these foundations has already started. For example, we have recently been inserting sheet piles into the ground. This is creating a construction pit where we can work on the foundation piles and abutments. These form the concrete blocks on either side that will ultimately support the roof section. Passengers will not notice much disruption, because we will not be affecting metro or railway traffic. However, because the new roof section is around 100 m long, further supports will be needed between the two ends. One of these will be in the middle of the existing Minervapassage, so you are likely to notice some disruption.
Relocation of GVB Service & Tickets
In order to make room for work in the Minervapassage, the GVB Service & Tickets desk will no longer be located in the Minervapassage. We are building a temporary space for it at the side of Zuidplein, and the GVB Service & Tickets will be relocated there during the summer. We will then demolish the old building. The KIOSK shop next to it was closed previously and we will be demolishing it this spring. This relocation process and the related works will also involve changes to various cables and pipelines in the passageway.
Two weekend closures
In the spring of 2023, we will begin construction work on the support for the passageway. This will take a total of eight weeks to complete. We will start by demolishing part of the existing roof and making the passageway safe for work. To do this, we will be closing the Minervapassage over a weekend. The construction work on the support itself will then take around five weeks. After that, the passageway will be closed for another weekend in order to insert the roof section into position. Everything will then be returned as far as possible to the way it was before. The passageway will remain open during these works, but will be slightly narrower. In due course, we will provide an update on any expected disruption together with details of our plans for after that.
Give your opinion