The Queen of the Netherlands visited the A9 motorway expansion project, carried out by FCC Construcción. During the visit, representatives from Rijkswaterstaat, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and representatives from FCC Construcción, together with market players from the construction and infrastructure sector, discussed circularity and sustainability with the Queen. She also received an explanation of the use of circular concrete in the A9 Badhoevedorp-Holendrecht expansion and attended a demonstration of circular paving with asphalt using the Asphalt Recycling Train (ART).

On behalf of the client, Rijkswaterstaat, the Queen was welcomed at the InZicht information centre in Amstelveen by Roger Mol, Chief Engineer Director of Sustainability and Environment, and by the Director of Procurement. "Today we are demonstrating that, in order to accelerate the circular transition in the sector and enable sustainable innovations, good collaboration between public clients and market players is essential. Our goal is to gradually raise the bar across the sector, enabling market players to grow in innovative and sustainable projects." The sector aims to operate in a climate-neutral and circular manner by 2030. This means that during the construction, replacement, maintenance and renovation of infrastructure, materials are reused as much as possible, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.

Old concrete gets a new lease of life.

Circularity and sustainability play an important role in the extension of the A9 motorway between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht. During the visit to the bridge over the Bullewijk, special attention was paid to the reuse of concrete. Approximately 300 of the beams recovered in the project are being reused in other road construction projects, reducing CO₂ emissions and saving raw materials. Recycled concrete is also being used in the project. Alexander Goes, technical advisor and head of civil engineering/concrete at Witteveen+Bos, said of the use of circular concrete in this project: "The remaining concrete generated by the demolition of several bridges has been crushed, cleaned and separated into different raw materials. In several parts of the support beams of the bridge over the Bullewijk, approximately 50% of the gravel and sand consists of recycled material."

Rafael Huerga Fernández, project director at FCC Construcción, indicates that the A9BAHO expansion was going to be energy neutral, but thanks to the joint effort, the level of ambition has been raised and the reuse of beams and the application of circular concrete have been added to the scope.

About the A9 expansion project

The project consists of the expansion of an 11.4 km section of the A9 motorway between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht. The work involves widening the platform from three to four lanes in each direction, with the corresponding expansion of existing structures (11), new junctions with other roads, as well as bridges and tunnels. In this regard, it is worth highlighting a 1.7 km section where the road level (currently on an embankment) is to be lowered and converted into a trench section with three covered subsections. The project has been carried out while maintaining traffic on the existing motorway and minimising the impact on the urban environment.