Beethovenstraat metro viaduct on stilts

This viaduct is usually used by metros 50 and 51 (in the direction of Isolatorweg) as they enter the station. Although at first glance the viaduct appears to be one complete section, it is clearly made up of four separate parts. The three sections closest to the station, each 16 m long and 5.5 m wide, need to be increased in height by up to half a metre. On the other side of the station above Parnassusweg, the work we are doing is even more extreme: there, we are demolishing part of the viaduct in order to replace it with a new one.

In mid-July, we used large jacks to increase the height of the three viaduct sections above Beethovenstraat by 1.5 m – 1 m higher than originally intended. By doing this, we created the space to heighten the supports below with new reinforcement and concrete. On Thursday, 8 and Friday, 9 August, these will be lowered again by a metre, to the level of the supports which will by then have been raised in height. On balance, the viaduct will ultimately be half a metre higher. In the weekend after that, the track builder will start work to put the track back in place, enabling the metros to resume their normal service on the morning of Monday, 26 August.

Previously, the metros entered Amsterdam Zuid station from the viaduct after a slight descent. But because of the increase in the height of the northern metro track and the viaduct on which it runs above Parnassusweg and Beethovenstraat, that is no longer the case. In Beethovenstraat, we are achieving this by increasing the height of the section of viaduct on the side of Valley and the AFC sports pitches (the highest section) by just 7 cm. The section at the centre of Beethovenstraat is already 25 cm higher. The third and lowest section of the viaduct, on the abutment in the embankment on the station side, will be increased in height by 57 cm. As a result, the metro track for lines 50 and 51 will be more or less level at Amsterdam Zuid station.

This increase in height is necessary as part of the regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid station. As a result, the existing Minervapassage will ultimately be twice as high (from 2.5 to 4 m). That is the same height as the roof of the new station entrance scheduled to open in 2027 at the latest: the Brittenpassage. But for that to be possible, we first need to ensure that all of the metro tracks and platforms are at the right height. The two tracks in the centre (the North/South line) have already been increased in height. This summer, we will be increasing the height of the northern metro track. Next year, the southern and final metro track will be raised.