Amsterdam to close Rozengracht for safety-essential repairs

The concrete around the tram tracks on the Rozengracht in Amsterdam is in such a poor condition that major repairs need to be done as soon as possible. The road will therefore need to be be closed to tram and car traffic from September 5th to October 1st, alderman Sharon Dijksma of traffic and transport wrote in a letter to the city council, AT5 reports.

The municipality already planned to replace the tram rails on Rozengracht. It was scheduled for 2020, when the entire Rozengracht will be redone. In order to allow trams to continue running until 2020, maintenance was done on the rails in 2014 and 2017. But the situation around the tram line on Rozengracht is currently in such a state that safety standards are not complied with in several locations. The municipality therefore can no longer postpone these repairs, according to the broadcaster.

Experts from public transit company GVB are urgently working on a plan that will ensure that traffic from the intersection with Marnixstraat won't be able to drive op Rozengracht, so that repair works can be done. This will happen between Wednesday, September 5th, and Monday, October 1st. The trams that use Rozengracht, trams 13 and 17, will run on a modified route.

The new tram tracks will be constructed in such a way that the municipality can later decide on redesign, according to AT5. The wishes of local residents and business owners have to be included in the plans for Rozengracht's final new design.