Since 1994 the firm North-South Line Consultants (Adviesbureau Noord/Zuidlijn) has been working on the design and execution of the first phase of the North-South Line for Amsterdam City Council. The first phase, which is 9 km long, extends from the A10 ring road in Amsterdam North to the A10 ring road in Amsterdam South. The construction methods to be employed, starting from the northern end, are construction at ground level, a conventional submerged tunnel under the River IJ and for the station at the Central Railway Station, a bored tunnel under the old city centre and then construction at ground level again in the central reservation of the A10 ring road in Amsterdam South.

Three deep underground stations are needed along the route of the bored tunnel underneath the city centre. They will be constructed at a depth of approximately 25 m below ground level, and the dimensions of the construction excavations will be about 200 m by 25 m. The public consultation process, which was also organized by Royal Haskoning, has revealed that the best way to build the deep underground stations is the walls and roof method. This means that first of all walls and a roof are built for the construction excavation, after which the remainder of the ground is excavated and the work is completed underneath the roof, thus causing minimal nuisance and inconvenience for local residents and businesses.

Wim Janssen
T +31 (0)24 3284 335
E Wim Janssen