It was an impressive sight: three large cranes lifting the bridge deck of the new northern Schinkelbrug into position in the A10 Zuid as evening fell. Equally impressive were the 400 visitors who had been there since the afternoon to attend lectures by our experts as they waited for the grand finale at 20.00. TriAX construction consortium (Besix, Dura Vermeer and Heijmans) needed only a few hours to complete the operation. By 22.30, the bridge deck was in position in the A10 Zuid.
A packed afternoon programme
The sun was shining and the wind remained calm. Hundreds of curious visitors therefore began gathering at the Nieuwe Meersluis early in the afternoon. With a non-alcoholic drink in hand, they first attended several lectures about the various Zuidasdok projects, including the A10 Zuid tunnel and, of course, the expansion of the Schinkelbrug. There was also considerable interest in other Zuidasdok projects, including the opening of the new passenger tunnel at Amsterdam Zuid station on 1 November, as well as the installation of new noise barriers as part of the widening of the A10 Zuid.
The grand finale
At around 16.00, the bridge deck arrived at the new northern Schinkelbrug. The deck is a steel bascule deck, forming the movable section of the bridge. We attached the deck – nicknamed ‘the fly swatter’ while being transported upright – to the three cranes waiting on site. A reminder of the figures: 24 metres high, almost 14 metres wide and weighing no less than 235 tonnes – the equivalent of 47 adult elephants. That was the enormous structure that had to be lifted into position in the A10 Zuid. By around 22.30, the job was done.
From Friesland to Amsterdam in 2 minutes
The bridge deck was prefabricated by steel construction company Solidd Steel Structures in Sumar, Friesland, because it was too large to build on site at the Schinkelbrug. On Monday morning, 21 September, it therefore began its journey by water from Sumar to Amsterdam. The transport arrived in Amsterdam the following day, after which it embarked on a four-and-a-half-hour journey through Amsterdam, passing Brug Westerkeersluis, Willemspoorbrug, Kattenslootbrug, Van Halbrug, Beltbrug, Wiegbrug, Kinkerbrug, Overtoomse Sluis, Kabouterbrug, Zeilstraatbrug and Park Schinkeleilanden, before finally reaching the Nieuwe Meersluis at the Schinkelbrug. We captured the entire journey, including the lifting operation, in the timelapse below.
Keeping the lifting operation bat-friendly
In the evening and at night, bats fly past the Schinkelbrug towards the Nieuwe Meer. We took this into account while lifting the bridge deck into position. We worked on the western side of the Schinkel, while keeping a clear, dark passage available for the bats on the eastern side. We shielded the lighting as much as possible to prevent unnecessary light from shining onto the water.
Share article:
Give your opinion
Get in touch with us