Two bridges, pedestrian tunnel to link Amsterdam, Amsterdam Noord

Amsterdam is planning two bridges to connect Amsterdam with Amsterdam Noord. The first will by a bicycle bridge from Java Island to Noord. The second bridge will be built in West, near Stenen Hoofd. There are also tentative plans for a pedestrian tunnel at Central Station, the mayor and aldermen announced on Thursday, AT5 reports.

"The Java bridge will spread the growing group of cyclists in Amsterdam over the city, so that everyone can get to Central Station more automatically", responsible alderman Eric van der Burg said in a press release.

Construction of the Java Bridge is set to start in 2020 and will cost around 210 million euros. For the bridge to be built, the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam will have to be moved According to Het Parool, the mayor and aldermen want to move it either to Coenhaven or the northern side of the IJ.

The city is also preparing for the second bridge, from Amsterdam-West. A final decision on this bridge will be made in 2020, once there is more certainty about what will happen to the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. According to Van der Burg, construction of this bridge will start at least a year after the Java Bridge opens.

Finally, the city is considering a pedestrian tunnel at Central Station, to help guide pedestrian traffic. Whether this tunnel will become a reality depends on a number of factors, a spokesperson for Van der Burg said to NU.nl. One of these is whether the yet-to-be-built Sixhaven station will be added to the Noord-Zuid subway line.

Not everyone is happy with the plans for the Java Bridge. A number of Noord residents and Java island residents objected to the bridge because they worry about the crowds it may cause on their doorsteps. Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen of Infrastructure and Environment and public works council Rijkswaterstaat also objected.