Dutch bridge and lock delays could cost €20bn by 2035, institute says

The Economic Institute for Construction (EIB) estimates that delays in renewing Dutch bridges and locks will impose €20 billion in economic costs by 2035 without further policy action. The figure covers existing and expected closures and restrictions on road and water traffic, including the cost of diversions. [1]

The institute says two-thirds of the funding needed to replace and renovate bridges, viaducts and locks through 2030 is currently missing. That could delay essential work and prolong restrictions on their use. [1]

Three steel bridges on major routes account for a substantial share of the projected costs, the EIB says: the Merwedebrug, the Suurhoffbrug and, potentially within the next few years, the Van Brienenoordbrug. It estimates that starting replacement work on time could have avoided €5 billion in costs. Lorries have been barred from the Merwedebrug for several months; the EIB estimates its traffic restrictions cost €1.9 million a day. [1]

The institute also identifies 30 concrete bridges and viaducts whose lives could be extended for several years through temporary measures. At current funding levels, it says, only a quarter could be replaced on time, leaving a projected €15 billion in economic costs from delays to the rest. [1]