16 days’ work in the summer in Zuidas: what are we building?

During the 16-day motorway closure, we will be making the existing passenger tunnel at Amsterdam Zuid station, the Minervapassage, ready for extensive renovation work. The tunnel will be much wider and higher than is currently the case. Once the Brittenpassage has opened (by 2027 at the latest), the Minervapassage will be closed completely for three years, for that work to be carried out. The southern entrance to the station, from Gustav Mahlerplein, will then serve as the entry point for the large-scale building materials and goods. For that reason, we are building six larger tunnels on both sides of the present entrance (three on each side), which will allow us to considerably enlarge the Minervapassage so that building materials can be transported through it.

In order to able to build these tunnels, we are first removing the section of the A10 Zuid that runs above the Minervapassage. We will then dig out the slope and insert sheet piling into the ground to create a construction pit. As soon as it is ready, we will be able to build the tunnel entrances. We will do this using prefab concrete elements, which will be supplied as a kind of building package. Once that is ready, we will reconstruct the slope and rebuild the A10 Zuid. The tunnels will remain closed until the subsequent renovation of the Minervapassage actually starts. At that point, we will connect the tunnels to the passenger tunnel, at the point where Etos is currently located, for example.

We are also carrying out other work at and around Amsterdam Zuid station: extending the new train platforms above the Brittenpassage and above and beyond Parnassusweg, for example. This is necessary because the trains will be stopping slightly more westerly during the large-scale renovation of the Minervapassage than is currently the case. To do that, we will have to make alterations to the viaduct over Parnassusweg. We will also be hoisting large steel girders on which we will be building the extended platform. For safety reasons, this hoisting work can only be carried out while the A10 Zuid and Parnassusweg are closed to traffic.

At the point where we will be building the foundations for the supports, the slope is too steep to insert sheet piling and piles into the ground. For that reason, we are first creating a plateau from where we will be able to work. This requires 5000 cubic metres of sand – enough to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools. Building the plateau alone will take one or two days. We will then start building the two construction pits, which will require several days. After that, we will insert the piles into the ground and fill them with concrete. We will reinforce the concrete and build the formwork in which we will pour more concrete. The result will be a large concrete support construction for the pillars. We will then remove the plateau of sand. 

More details about the closures and diversions between 26 June and 12 July