Study: Aging bridges, locks could cost Netherlands 20 billion euros by 2035

The Netherlands is facing up to 20 billion euros in economic losses by 2035 if it does not add funding and change how it replaces aging bridges and locks, the Economic Institute for the Construction Industry said in a study released this week. The losses would reportedly come from existing and expected closures and restrictions on road and water traffic, much of them concentrated on three steel bridges with few practical detours: the Merwerde bridge, the Suurhoff bridge, and, within a few years, the Van Brienenoord bridge.

A large share of Dutch bridges, viaducts, and locks need replacement or renovation in the coming years, but the existing funds might not be enough. Through 2030, about two-thirds of the required budget is missing, the institute said. Work is delayed, and authorities often limit use of structures instead of repairing them, forcing trucks and ships onto longer routes.

Much of the damage is reportedly concentrated on three steel bridges that carry major traffic and have few practical detours: the Merwerde bridge, the Suurhoff bridge, and, within a few years, the Van Brienenoord bridge. Timely construction of replacements could have avoided about five million in losses, the institute said. Restrictions on the Merwerde Bridge, which has barred trucks for several months, cost an estimated 1.9 million euros every 24 hours.

Another 30 concrete bridges and viaducts still have time. Temporary measures could extend their lives for several years, but funding covers only about a quarter of the replacements that should happen on schedule. Failing to replace the rest on time would add about 15 billion euros in economic damage.

The institute said more money is needed, but how it is spent matters as well. Tighter selection based on returns and fewer requirements that drive up costs would make the available funds more effective.

Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Vincent Karremans (VVD) said the findings were one reason the Cabinet decided to reorder infrastructure priorities. He said he will present that plan in the coming weeks and will also move to cut rules that inflate costs.

The report shows that “doing nothing is no longer an option," the Logistics Alliance said. “Everyone looks at the cost of investing but far less at the cost of doing nothing,” said Elisabeth Post, the chair of Logistics Alliance. “The institute shows that bill is enormous.” Businesses are already paying it, Post said, through congestion, delays, detours, and unexpected closures. “That affects not only business but ultimately the entire Dutch economy and the consumer.”

The Logistics Alliance includes evofenedex, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, VNO-NCW, Transport and Logistics Netherlands, Schiphol, ProRail, and Royal Dutch Inland Navigation.

The alliance said political choices must be made about the future of Dutch infrastructure. “This report shows the price of further delay. Right now, politics can still make choices that keep that bill from rising further.”

“One-off solutions" are not enough, the alliance said. “The Netherlands needs a multi-year investment agenda that gives certainty to governments, companies, and contractors. Only with structural financing for maintenance, replacement, and new construction can we prevent backlogs from growing further and economic damage from increasing.”