Destructive
The new proposed drilling method has never been tested in ground like the one found
in Amsterdam.
A building method similar to the one proposed for Amsterdam has been used for the Hague's tram tunnel, and consists of injecting concrete to build a solid foundation. This method has failed, as the tunnel started leaking.
De Sofiatunnel near Zwijndrecht was also disastrous: the ground above it started sinking. As a solution, the contractor had to lay a layer of sand 4 meters deep, 50 meters wide and 70 meters long. Can you picture this in the centre of Amsterdam?
The construction activities themselves are dangerous. The contruction pits will reach depths of 55 meters, and in certain places will be just 3 meters from the entrance of buildings. If there is a collapse, passers-by may be swept away.
There is also great concern about underground water. At a depth of 55 meters, will the walls and ground of the stations be able to sustain the huge water pressure?
Similar projects around the world have encoountered serious problems:
The building of the metro will also cost the lives of many decades-old trees along the path, including the majestic trees on the Weteringscircuit. A line of trees on the Vijzelstraat in front of the French consulate have already been cut 'in preparation'.
Further harm will be done in the economy of the city. For a number of years Amsterdam will have an open sore stretching from Centraal Station to the WTC area in the South, discouraging visitors from visiting businesses along the construction area, including the famous Albert Cuyp market in De Pijp. At the dawn of a recession, the last thing Amsterdam businesses need is a further blow.