Where in Zuidas
Starting on the evening of Friday, 5 May, we worked all weekend removing part of the roof of the Minervapassage. This creates the space needed for the new roof, twice as tall, that we are inserting into position in June of this year. Passengers had to take care, because the passageway was partially closed. However, everyone was able to reach where they want to go with the help of diversion signs, stewards and taxi buses. And all of the effort was not in vain – the works were completed successfully.
Hoisting girders
At the end of April, we already sawed into the 20 m long concrete beams of the roof, or girders. That work ran smoothly and we did not need to make use of the three reserve days we had scheduled. With a 700-tonne crane, we began hoisting the total of seven girders from their position on Friday evening and continued throughout the night.
Removal
After the hoisting, we removed the girders, each 25 m long and weighing 55 tonnes, and took them to our work site in Eduard van Beinumstraat. For that purpose, we briefly closed the lane in Parnassusweg heading in the northerly direction eight times. This week, we will be cutting up the girders on our work site and transporting them away in containers. In the passageway, we also inserted foundation piles into the ground on which an additional support for the new roof section will rest. Just outside the passageway, in the outdoor air, several temporary foundation piles were inserted which will support the runner used for positioning the new roof section.
Diversion, stewards and taxi buses
Because of the works, passengers were only able to get from one side of the passageway to the other via the metro platforms and the new crossing. Until mid-July, there will only be a single lift in use to access the metro platforms – which is why we deployed taxi buses during this weekend to transport people with mobility issues from Zuidplein to Mahlerplein and vice-versa. Ten stewards helped to lift heavy luggage and guide the way.
Next steps
Last February, we already built the new roof section on our construction site between the metro platforms. In June, we are moving the 100-m long concrete sheet into the position where the North/South metro line (52) will ultimately be, between the new Brittenpassage and the Minervapassage. But we will not be idle in the meantime. You can therefore expect disruption in the Minervapassage until the summer.
We will of course update you when we are inserting the roof section. The new section underneath the North/South line is not the end of the work on the roof of the Minervapassage: in the years ahead, we will be inserting a further two roof sections underneath the metro tracks.
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