Schiphol has been connecting the Netherlands with the rest of the world for more than one hundred years. In that time, a lot has changed in terms of standards for quality, safety and sustainability. We are therefore investing in our future today, so that we can continue to meet those standards. Within the Southern Development (*Zuidelijke Ontwikkeling*) project, we’re doing that by building a new baggage basement and investigating whether we can potentially construct a new terminal on top of it. Before that can happen, preparatory work must be carried out to create space for these plans.
EEW stands for Early Enabling Works and this sub-project will ensure that the Southern Development area is cleared of functions. That means removing all existing buildings, including catering outlets, shops and service points, from the site of the new baggage basement. We are also dismantling the so-called Dogleg link for passengers. Travellers will not experience any inconvenience though, because we will ensure that they can still easily reach their flight. We’ll open another passenger connection – the BC Link – when we close the dogleg and reroute Rinze Hofstraweg.
Overview of the locations
There are several shops and catering outlets in the Dogleg section of the BC Link. We’re removing them and building new locations further along Pier B. This way, we can ensure that it remains a pleasant and comfortable place for travellers.
Travellers should not experience any inconvenience because of these construction works. That’s why we’re finishing the BC Link, that was built in 2019, so that travellers can make use of it. Six moving walkways (three in each direction) will be installed to shorten the connection time.
Rinze Hofstraweg is on the spot where the new baggage basement will be built. We are rerouting this road under the new BC Link so that this important ring road remains accessible to traffic. When the Southern Development project is complete, we’ll return the road to its original location.
By making this area landside rather than airside, fewer passes and checkpoints are needed for lorries that deliver goods, for example. It will also ensure a better traffic flow at other locations, including Rinze Hofstraweg.
One of the entrances to baggage basement South is along the Rinze Hofstraweg. Rerouting that roads means we also need to change the entrance. We’re doing that by turning the ramp slightly and making it steeper. Baggage trolleys will still be able to make the turn this way. Existing constructions will be reused as much as possible.
Lastly, we’ll be clearing the dogleg of functions. This involves removing cables and installations that are no longer necessary, and rerouting pipelines. We’ll try to reuse these materials as much as possible too. For example, we are currently investigating how we can reuse part of the passenger bridge in another project at Schiphol. When the Dogleg is cleard of functions, the various bridge parts and the corner core can be removed. Once the dogleg has been dismantled, we’ll remove the surfacing and reroute cable and pipes.