Part of new roof Minervapassage now in place

Around a hundred people had registered to watch the huge shifting operation between the metro tracks at Amsterdam Zuid station on the evening of Friday, 9 June. They were treated to a real spectacle: under a purple sky (it had been a hot summer day), the concrete Goliath weighing 2 million kg was gradually shifted towards them. The operation ran smoothly: after around ten hours of pushing, the roof section was in its final position underneath the future tracks for metro 52 (the North/South line). Because the very heavy roof section had to be pushed across the existing passageway, a diversion was in place via the metro platforms over the weekend from 9-11 June.

At around 19.00, we began to push the roof section, that had been ready and waiting on our work site between the metro tracks for several months. Previously, we built a large part of the runner structure across which we moved the sheet around 114 m to the east. We used hydraulic jacks for that purpose, which are able to propel a lot of weight forward. At around 22.30, the sheet, 100 m in length, arrived above the Minervapassage, where the shifting process continued for several more hours. By around 03.00 on Saturday morning, the colossus had reached its destination.

After hours of pushing, there was still no time to rest. We continued the work by tensioning the roof section using the cables we had previously pulled through the hollow channels. This will enable the roof section to support an even heavier load later on. Each of the cables had to be tensioned properly, a major job that took the whole of the afternoon. By around 17.30, the process was complete and the next challenge awaited on Saturday evening: removing the runners.

After removing the runners, further work included building the bearing pads that will distribute the forces between the roof section and the foundations (which we built earlier). We also installed jacks which enabled us to lower the roof section, allowing it to drop no more than a few centimetres. We deliberately pushed the roof section slightly higher than its final position, in order to leave enough room to build the bearings. In a very controlled way, we allowed the roof section to drop, millimetre by millimetre. By Sunday afternoon, the job was completed.

In the meantime, we were able to start putting everything back into place in the passageway. During the diversion, stewards were on hand to point passengers in the right direction. Unfortunately, the southern lift developed a technical fault, and was out of service throughout the diversion. The northern lift was closed during the works anyway. Stewards did their best to lift heavy items, such as children’s buggies and cases onto the platforms. Drivers were also on hand to take people with mobility issues from Zuidplein to Gustav Mahlerplein and vice-versa. If necessary, the stewards helped people up the stairs.

We are replacing the roof of the Minervapassage because, in the future, it will be twice as high as it is now. The regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid station is necessary in order to accommodate growing passenger numbers. Over the next years, we will put two further roof sections into position under the metro tracks in the Minervapassage. The train tracks are already at the right height here.