Amsterdam is continuing to work towards its plan to build a bridge for cyclists over the IJ. In its 2023 Spring Memorandum (voorjaarsnota), the municipality has set aside 100 million euros to help fund the construction.

Could Amsterdam bridge the gap between dream and reality?

The municipality’s Jump over the IJ campaign has been an ongoing project for several years, designed to improve transportation in the Dutch capital as the population - and the city - continues to grow. While last autumn it was revealed that the plan had been put on the back burner due to a tight budget, Het Parool recently reported that the municipality was once again looking to free up some of the funds required to complete the project.

These reports have proven true: in the Spring Memorandum published earlier this week, the municipality has set aside 100 million euros for the construction project. A further 75 million euros will be invested by the Amsterdam Transport Region. Estimates state that at least 300 million euros will be required in order to construct the bridge, with the municipality saying it is "in talks with other partners to finance the remaining amount."

With the number of passengers on the IJ ferries growing every year, and plans to build 150.000 new homes along the IJ in Amsterdam and Zaanstad, the municipality believes a bridge is a great way to improve transport connections without hindering the movement of the 160.000 ships that sail through the IJ every year. If the funds can be acquired and the project goes according to plan, the municipality expects the bridge will be completed by 2032 at the earliest.

Spring Memorandum: Money for housing, transport and infrastructure

After much negotiation, the municipality announced its Spring Memorandum on May 11. As part of the budget, the city has allocated 7,5 million euros to "maintain" public transport services, 10 million euros to tackle the housing crisis, and 600 million euros to projects designed to improve infrastructure in the Dutch capital. These projects include extending the North / South metro to Schiphol Airport and improving accessibility to the Amsterdam Zuidas region through the Zuidasdok.

In addition to this, 2 million euros has been set aside to help combat sexual violence and violence against LGBTQ+ people in the city, and, according to Het Parool, 9 million euros will go towards the "asylum crisis". These various investments will partly be funded by the municipality's decision to raise its tax rates for tourists.

The municipality is also investing funds into various projects, including a new library in Southeast Amsterdam (36,5 million euros), the National Slavery Museum (29 million euros), the new Meervart in the Sloterplas (96,5 million euros), and renovations for the Jaap Edenbaan ice rink (34 million euros). 

Thumb image credit: GLF Media / Shutterstock.com.