Pien Niehe
Europe Press Office,Amsterdam
On January 11, Minister Stef Blok (Housing and Central Government) and the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, will open the new temporary bridge to the Marineterrein, the former historical naval dockyard.
In December 2013 the City of Amsterdam and the government signed an agreement to redevelop the Marineterrein, including the decision to build a temporary pedestrian and cyclist bridge to unlock the area. The Marineterrein is an historical area in the heart of Amsterdam, which has been closed off to the public since 1655 while in use by the Royal Dutch Navy. From 2013 onwards the area is step by step being converted into a public space.The bridge offers a fast connection between the Central Station area and the Kattenburg quarter and offers also a passage to ships.
The budget for the temporary bridge was 1M euros and the design, building permission and building processes had to be finished within one year. In connection with the Presidency of the European Union (EU), which the Netherlands will hold in the first half year of 2016, it was important to finish the project before the prominent EU meeting location on the Marineterrein was taken in use.
Architect Jeroen van Mechelen and Arup advised the City of Amsterdam and provided a sketch design of a crossing which could be achieved within budget and time limits. Being aware of the options, the City opened a design, build and maintenance contest for contractors without a prescriptive design, with a minimum set of requirements and a ceiling price of 1 million euro. The specifications were focused on the minimum shipping clearance, a 5-year design life and maintenance period. Contractor Van Hattum & Blankevoort won the tender design. Arup delivered in collaboration with Jeroen van Mechelen the final design of the temporary swing bridge, which crosses the canal called the Dijksgracht for the next few years. As the Marineterrein is in the process of development, the best location for a permanent bridge is still to be decided.