Launch of tender for A10 Zuid tunnel

The tender announcement was published on TenderNed on 26 July 2023. Zuidasdok is looking for the builder most capable of realising a motorway tunnel of around 1 km in the centre of Zuidas, with separate tunnels running on the north and south side of Amsterdam Zuid station. This is a real challenge in a busy and densely populated area and especially one that has to remain a safe and comfortable place for residents, workers, travellers and students throughout construction of the tunnel. By the end of September 2023, up to three builders will be selected, and intensive discussions will then be held starting in early October.

Careful tendering process

Following the successful tenders for the regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid station and the reconstruction of the De Nieuwe Meer interchange, this is the third tender for the Zuidasdok project. Each time, the process has been slow and careful. Market players were invited to two special Industry Days in order to become acquainted with the plans, some even attending both. This ensures that any bids can be carefully assessed in terms of the construction method, in order to achieve the best end-result. The explicit intention is to ensure that any surrounding buildings and Amsterdam Zuid station can continue to operate, during and after construction. Quality of life in the area also needs to be safeguarded during construction, since the work will be happening while everything is still running. The bids will need to take account of all of these factors. By the end of September 2023, we will provisionally select bids from up to three builders with whom we will engage in further discussions.

Market feedback

The two Industry Days we held were about more than just presenting our plans. We also collected feedback about them from the market players who attended. We used this to make changes to several aspects of the plans in order to make the project more attractive for the market. This included, for example, balancing the risks for Zuidasdok as commission authority and the contractor. Clear frameworks were also agreed for any profits and losses for the builder. We also opted to shorten the discussion phase with the three provisionally-selected builders (the tender period). We are achieving this by postponing the detailed development of the design until after the contract has been awarded to a party rather than during the tender period itself. This means that the market players will require less staffing capacity during the provisional selection phase.

Construction team

It has been possible to rebalance the risks and shorten the tender period because Zuidasdok intends to collaborate even more intensively with the builder ultimately selected. After the contract has been awarded, we will form a joint construction team, as part of which we will work together on the design of the tunnel. Each party will provide half of the designers and specialists who will collaborate on the design – sometimes literally working together at the same desk – during the construction team phase. They will also have joint responsibility. This will make it possible for both sides, in other words Zuidasdok and the contractor, to share their experiences with each other on a continuous basis. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the project can be managed as successfully and effectively as possible.

A10 Zuid to disappear into a tunnel

Near the centre of Zuidas, the motorway will be diverted underground for around a kilometre – resulting in reduced traffic in the city centre and better traffic flow in the northern Randstad. The diversion of the A10 Zuid into a tunnel also means that we will regain more than 100,000 sq. m. of public space above ground. That means space for a larger station with international railway connections and a bus and tram station next to the station entrances. This will take some of the pressure off Schiphol and Amsterdam Central station, while also providing more green space for residents, cyclists and pedestrians. In addition, the tunnel will actually reduce the noise caused by the A10. All of this in a vibrant part of Amsterdam that is currently full of traffic passing through.

Preparatory work

In November 2022, the decision was made to start the construction of the northern tunnel in the centre of Zuidas. Last February, we did preparatory work in Zuidplein for this. In early August 2023, we will start working right next to the WTC on the removal of underground tiebacks, cables and pipelines obstructing construction of the tunnel. This tender relates to the motorway tunnel that will be on the north side of Amsterdam Zuid station, right next to Zuidplein and the WTC.

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