Amsterdam alderman warns of rising costs as Cabinet postpones major Zuidasdok project

Frustration and disappointment are being voiced in Amsterdam following the Cabinet’s announcement that it will postpone the northern section of Zuidasdok - the Netherlands’ largest infrastructure project. Amsterdam’s alderman Moeskops is now warning of prolonged disruption and costs that could rise hundreds of millions of euros. The government is set to spend around 18 billion euros mainly on maintaining and renewing aging bridges, locks, and other infrastructure built in the 1950s-70s, while postponing a number of major projects.

The Zuidasdok project was intended to improve accessibility to Amsterdam and the northern part of the Randstad. ”If there is not enough funding soon, residents, users, and businesses in the area will face consequences of the construction work for years longer,” the alderman warned.

“They will look at a construction site and traffic gridlock for longer, while the project becomes hundreds of millions of euros more expensive. We then run the risk of ultimately losing the investment the national government is making now,” the alderman added.

In turn, “that is not only unfavorable for Amsterdam but for the whole of the Netherlands.” The alderman added that it is good that there will be a conversation with Minister Karremans soon “to see how we can prevent this situation.”

The project combines the expansion of Amsterdam Zuid station with the widening of the A10 in a densely built-up area “that is of great importance to the economies of Amsterdam and the Netherlands,” the alderman added. “If we cannot continue building now, accessibility, the business climate and housing plans across the entire metropolitan region will come under pressure.”

Former alderman Steven van Weyenberg (Spatial Planning) called on council members earlier this year to lobby their party colleagues in the Tweede Kamer for the project to go ahead. “This is a super important project. We have to finish it and not leave it half-done,” he told the council at the end of January.