Decision making Zuidasdok
The Zuidasdok programme has its roots in an act of law: the Transport Infrastructure (Planning Procedures) Act (Tracéwet). The procedure that led up to it included three opportunities for consultation: the draft structural vision, the draft routing decision and the routing decision itself.
Following a long procedure, the Zuidasdok Routing Decision (Tracébesluit Zuidasdok) was approved in March 2016 and given the definitive go-ahead in 2018. On 1 January 2024, the Transport Infrastructure (Planning Procedures) Act was withdrawn when the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) entered into force. The Environment and Planning Act also includes transitional arrangements. This means that ongoing projects, such as Zuidasdok, can continue to make use of the Routing Decision instrument.
Numerous investigations
A routing decision of this kind makes new infrastructure or changes to existing infrastructure possible. The Zuidasdok Routing Decision involves a large number of investigations, studies and subsidiary reports. These cover such areas as the environment, noise and air quality, as well as archaeology, social safety and other fields. You will find all of the documentation relating to the Zuidasdok Routing Decision included in our library (in Dutch).
Amending decisions
Any long-term projects such as Zuidasdok will inevitably involve changes over the course of time. Changes may occur in the area surrounding the route, new insights may emerge or additional measures may prove desirable. Changes of this kind are therefore included in an ‘amending decision’. The last time this happened was in 2023. These kind of changes can also be subject to public consultation.
Zoning plans
By law, the Zuidasdok Routing Decision (and all of the amending decisions resulting from it) must be incorporated within a local municipality zoning plan. Public consultation is also possible in the case of these zoning plans and zoning plan amendments. The last time this happened was in December 2022.
Changes in the course of the work
During the realisation of Zuidasdok, there are not only changes to plans: changes to schedules and estimated costs are also more or less inevitable. It is worth remembering: the decision about what Zuidasdok should look like was made in 2012, whereas everything will be completed (according to the current schedule) in 2036. In the intervening years, all kinds of unforeseen events will happen. Any decisions about substantial increases in costs are taken by the commissioning authorities for Zuidasdok: central government, the City of Amsterdam, Amsterdam regional transport and the Province of Noord-Holland. Every six months, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management and the deputy mayors for Housing and Urban Development and Traffic, Transport and Air Quality send a progress report to the House of Representatives and the City Council.