The billions project Zuidasdok, in which the A10 South will be tunneled and South Station expanded, will take even longer and will cost even more money. After six months of research into the usefulness and necessity of the project, it is concluded that it should continue in the same form.
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This is evident from a letter sent today by Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water Management). The project has been researched in recent months. The research report shows that ‘continuing with the current Zuidasdok project will yield more benefits for society as a whole than costs’ and that ‘no responsible austerities can be found’.
Embraced
Van Nieuwenhuizen says that the advice in the report was ‘discussed and fully embraced’ yesterday. ‘We have jointly reconfirmed the current scope of the Zuidasdok project. The objectives of the project have also been reconfirmed jointly. ”
However, 700 to 1000 million euros is still needed. It is still being examined how that should be paid. Because the contractor said earlier that he was unable and unwilling to carry out the work in accordance with the agreements made earlier, it was decided to divide the project into ‘work packages’. As a result, the contract with the contractor has been terminated and a new tender is being made.
2036
As a result, the project is delayed. “There is still considerable planning uncertainty, but the current expectation is that the last package will be delivered in the period 2032-2036,” writes Van Nieuwenhuizen. The project was previously planned to be completed in 2028.
The mega project has been delayed before. Hundreds of employees left their jobs last year. The minister finally decided to conduct an investigation into the ‘usefulness and necessity’ of the project.
Costs already increased
The cost of the project was originally estimated at 1.4 billion. Due to delays and inflation, that amount already rose to 1.7 billion euros last summer. So now perhaps a billion more will be added.
The city council of Amsterdam, the council of the Amsterdam Transport Region and the Provincial Council of North Holland have also been informed by Van Nieuwenhuizen today.
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