Amstel Verbindt construction consortium sets to work

The provisional awarding of the contract on 9 October 2025, has now been confirmed: the contract between Amstel Verbindt (made up of Boskalis, Mobilis and Van Gelder) and Zuidasdok was signed on 11 November. Amstel Verbindt is taking on the last major Zuidasdok project: the reconstruction of the Amstel junction. Incidentally, Amstel Verbindt is not a complete unknown – the same contractors are working under the name Nieuw-Zuid construction consortium on the regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid station. As he looks back on the tender procedure for the project, Ferdinand Bockhoudt, Junctions Project Manager for Zuidasdok, says that familiarity with the Zuidasdok working area has proved to be an advantage. ‘We’re used to building motorways between cities, but here we’re building a motorway in an urban setting. That makes it quite a different task. Firstly, we have to deal with lots of different stakeholders. We aim to take them into account as far as possible. Secondly, this is a densely built-up environment. The key question for the upcoming period will not be what the work involves, but how we intend to do it. So, it helps if you already have experience of the Amsterdam environment.’

There was a year between launch of the tender procedure and the ultimate awarding of the contract for the Amstel junction project. Project Director Rik van Opdorp from Amstel Verbindt has been involved from the outset and looks back on this period with some satisfaction. ‘From the start of talks with Zuidasdok, things clicked immediately. Instead of a classic commissioning authority/contractor relationship, it feels like we’re equals. That can only benefit the quality and, of course, the enjoyment we get from the work.’

In addition to the chronic lack of room for manoeuvre and huge diversity of stakeholders, there are plenty of other challenges for this project. To mention just one of them: the replacement of the southern Rozenoordbrug bridge. This job was added to Zuidasdok in 2023, because the bridge is at the end of its lifespan. Bockhoudt: ‘In 2022, the bridge was reinforced, extending its life for a decade. However, that does mean that we have a firm deadline for taking the bridge out of operation: 2032. Of course, demolishing it without any alternative is not an option. The Rozenoordbrug is located right between two arterial roads that provide access to Amsterdam. This is why we’re starting by building the extra bridge that is part of the project slightly to the south. On that extra bridge, there’ll eventually be two extra lanes and a new cycle path. However, during the work on the existing Rozenoordbrug, this extra bridge will serve as a bypass, when it will have five narrowed lanes on it. It’s a great solution, but its implementation is set to be very demanding both technically and logistically.’

In the meantime, Van Opdorp has started putting together the organisation that will need to successfully complete the project. ‘The core team that also worked on the tender will be staying. It includes all the key positions. We now plan to extend the core team for the design phase. In the autumn of 2026, we’ll deliver a provisional design followed by a definitive design in late 2027 if all goes well. From 2028, we’ll begin the outdoor work. I’m really looking forward to it.’