Bridges in Amsterdam saved from demolition
Amsterdam's Bridges and Quay Walls Programme (PBK) sets the city a challenging task: replacing outdated bridges and quay walls in the city centre. The focus has now shifted away from demolition and new construction to innovation, renovation and lifespan extension.
Within the scope of the PBK, Witteveen+Bos investigated whether the lifespan of three bridges could be extended. These bridges were originally identified as candidates for complete renewal. In fact, a design for demolition and new construction of one the bridges had already been finalised. We concluded that at least two bridges could be saved from demolition. Compared to new construction, this option is cheaper, more sustainable (use of materials) and results in less nuisance to the surrounding area.
The results of our study convinced the City of Amsterdam to take the bridges off the list for demolition/new construction and redesignate them as renovation projects. Witteveen+Bos has now started the renovation design for two of these bridges and the third bridge will follow. So it looks like these bridges have been saved from the scrapheap.
The City of Amsterdam has more than 800 bridges, whose condition varies widely. Investigations conducted by the city authorities indicate that about half of the bridges have a medium to high risk profile, often caused by the condition of the wooden pile foundation. To ensure safety and mobility in the city for the next thirty years, these bridges must be replaced or strengthened.
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