Second Major Bridge Replacement Completed at Amsterdam Centraal Station

The second major bridge replacement at Amsterdam Centraal Station has been finalized, following its successful completion of the first in 2025. Five bridges are being upgraded in total, with this work forming part of the High-Frequency Rail Transport Program led by ProRail and covers track optimizations, infrastructure adjustments and civil work inside the station building, aimed at enabling more trains to run to and from the station in the future.

Working alongside construction company Dura Vermeer, Mammoet managed the load-out, transportation and installation of three steel deck sections manufactured by Hollandia Infra that make up the second bridge — two components of 28.5 meters and 275 tons, and a middle section of 21 meters and 175 tons.

As the station is in a busy capital city, getting the new bridges to site was a complex engineering and logistical challenge. Mammoet’s solution was to transport the sections on water, rather than roads, to minimize disruption and allow the station to remain open while the work was being carried out.

Each bridge section was delivered to the Oostertoegang side of the station on a flat-top barge. There, the barge was partially submerged so that it could pass underneath a low footbridge.

Once in position, the sections were rotated 90 degrees, using self-propelled modular transporters, before being jacked up using specialist lifting equipment.

While the first bridge replacement utilized a jack system for the final jacking operation — the center section — a different method was used this time as there was less space for the bridge sections to maneuver.

This four-point lifting system is essentially four large hydraulic cylinders that can all extend at the same speed. Sitting inside tracks, they can be moved into different positions for precise movement and lifting.

To allow the final central section to be installed, the pile on which it would rest was built after the span was roughly positioned. First, the final section was floated into position at right angles to the installation direction. Next, it was rotated 90 degrees and then lifted.

The center section was then set down on consoles on the other two already-installed bridge sections, taking its weight. The central bridge column was then built, following which Mammoet returned to lower the center section onto it.

Each bridge section took approximately one week to install.