Heavy transport: 34 girders for extra Schinkelbrug

Over the next few years, we are widening the Schinkelbrug from 5 to 8 bridges. This can already be seen quite clearly, especially on the south side (next to the Nieuwe Meer lake). During the last 18 months, the TriAX construction consortium (Besix, Dura Vermeer and Heijmans) have been working on the foundations and supports for a completely new bridge, referred to as ‘bridge 9’. The supports are now more or less completed, marking the start of the next phase. During the weekend of 13-16 February, we will be lifting the first 34 girders on top of a section of the supports. These are the concrete beams on which the bridge deck will ultimately rest.

In order to lift the huge concrete girders into position (each one is 40 m in length and weighs 75 tonnes), we will be placing two gigantic cranes on the A10 Zuid. This is why in the weekend from 13 to 16 February, the A10 Zuid will be closed in the direction of the A1 Hengelo and the A2 Utrecht, up to the S108 Amsterdam – Oud Zuid exit. In order to be able to place the cranes on the road surface of the existing (most southerly) Schinkelbrug bridge, we will first be placing wooden crane mats here. These will distribute the weight of the huge cranes across the deck of the bridge.

In the period after that, we will begin working on top of the girders, building what are known as compressive layers. These are layers of reinforced concrete that connect the girders to each other, making them stronger. In order to make the compressive layers, we will prepare steel reinforcement, add formwork and then pour concrete. Of course, we are also continuing work on the west side of the bridge in the meantime. In the spring of 2026, we will be putting the steel leaf into position here (the movable section of the bridge) which is currently being prefabricated in Friesland before being transported here by water.

The new southern Schinkelbrug bridge (bridge 9) is expected to be in use from mid-2027. From then on, the southern bridge will serve as a bypass for traffic on the existing southern A10 bridge (10). This will ultimately be demolished and replaced by two new bridges (7 and 8). The construction of four new bridges for road traffic is part of the reconstruction of the De Nieuwe Meer junction. This is needed to be able to widen the A10 Zuid by adding two extra lanes for local traffic in each direction of travel. In 2031, work starts on the reconstruction of the De Nieuwe Meer junction.