Amsterdam tunneling lacks expert project supervision

AMSTERDAM – An expert in underground building projects, who studied the problems the city of Amsterdam faces with constructing its so-called North-South metroline, has concluded that the project lacked sufficient supervision and a clear chain of command. Costs for the metro line have escalated while leakage at excavation sites has caused neighbouring buildings to sag. The municipality still has not solved these problems, says professor Bani Horvat. He also finds it troubling that the builders still have found no solution to the question of how to maintain safety in case of a fire in the metro. Meanwhile, costs of the project have skyrocketed to 3.1 billion euros, up from the initial 1.4 billion. The completion date has been pushed back to possibly 2017.