As of 22 January 2024, and for period of around seven months, BAM Infra Nederland will be working on the replacement of the Oude Haagsebrug. The 90-year-old bridge over the Ringvaart Canal at Badhoevedorp is in poor condition, making replacement necessary. During this period of works, bus traffic between Schiphol and Amsterdam that would usually use the bridge will be redirected via the A4 motorway.
Published on: 22 January 2024
Hundreds of buses drive over the Oude Haagsebrug every day. The bridge lies on the principal bus connection between Schiphol and Amsterdam. Due to the poor condition of the bridge, only one bus at a time has been allowed to use it over the past year for safety reasons. That's why we are now going to replace it.
BAM Infra Nederland will commence work on 22 January 2024. The old bridge is going to be demolished, with light explosives and other methods being used to weaken parts of the bridge. This makes it easier to remove the construction. Demolition will take around 6 weeks, and hindrance will not always be unavoidable. However, we will be dealing with that in creative ways. One example is that several local residents will have the opportunity to make use of a work location in an office at Schiphol-East while the demolition is being carried out.
Both directions
After demolition is complete, BAM will construct the new bridge. It will be wider in order to allow buses travelling in both directions to cross the bridge at the same time. There will also be more room for cyclists and pedestrians. Buses should be able to drive over the bridge again starting in late August. We expect the works to be completely finished around October.
Circularity
'It's very important for our travellers and employees that Schiphol is easily accessible,' explains Sybren Hahn, Executive Director Schiphol Infrastructure. 'The Oude Haagsebrug plays a major role in that. By replacing the bridge, we're safeguarding its future accessibility. In line with our ambitions regarding circularity, waste material will be brought to our recycling facility. There, the old concrete will be crushed and turned into new concrete or foundation material so that it can be reused in constructions projects at the airport.'
Art set to return
Because looks also matter, the designers of the new bridge opted for an open design with three pillars instead of the seven that the old bridge had. The distinctive artwork under the bridge is also set to return. The two artists who created the previous piece are also involved in the new design.
More information
Schiphol, the municipalities of Haarlemmermeer and Amsterdam, Amsterdam Transport Authority and province Noord-Holland are all collaborating on this project. Would you like to find out more? Here you can find more information (in Dutch) and even follow the works live via video link.