Costs of renovating bridge on the A16 motorway could go up to €2 billion

The costs of renovating the Van Brienenoordbrug on the A16 motorway in Rotterdam are going to be significantly higher than estimated. Previous estimations expected the construction project to cost 680 million euros, but Rijkswaterstaat is now expecting costs to be between 1.5 and 2 billion euros. A spokesperson told De Telegraaf that the increase is due to a rise in prices.

Early last year, it became apparent that the tender for the renovation had to be re-tendered, with just one company showing interest in taking on the project. However, during the consultation process, the project's intended costs for the government proved to be too high. The new tender will go to market in July.

The bridge, whose first arch dates from 1965, is in urgent need of large-scale maintenance and replacements. In the plans, the arch will be replaced with a new one, and the other part of the bridge, which was added in 1989, will be renovated.

Around 230 vehicles drive over the bridge daily. Around 120,000 ships pass it a year, and the bridge opens around 100 times for ships to pass through.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Barry Madlener, has said that the project is a “big challenge.” He has publicly stated during his tenure as minister that he feels the budget for the maintenance of motorways and bridges is too low. "It is quite a challenge to see how we can deal with this," he said ahead of the weekly Council of Ministers meeting on Friday.

According to Madlener, delaying the construction on the Van Brienenoordbrug is not an option. “It is a very important traffic artery.” The minister has said that he wants to find a contractor that will do the work for the “sharpest price.”

He also reiterated his appeal for more money to be made available for infrastructure maintenance projects.