At the moment, the biggest congestion is on Raadhuisstraat. The bridges that connect the canals are the first to be tackled.

“At the moment the cables and pipes on the Raadhuisstraat are being replaced, much has to be closed,” says a traffic controller. Once that’s done across the board, the rebuilding of the bridges will begin.

Due to preparatory work, many canals in the area also have to be closed. “It’s left, right here, you can hardly go straight anymore. So that causes a lot of delay, especially with my three children”, says a father who takes his children to school early in the morning.

The driving directions for cars and cyclists have been adjusted on canals, but a traffic controller is not properly placed there. “It is and remains Amsterdam, eh, rules do not exist for some people.” Although it can also be dangerous: “Cyclists don’t understand anything anymore.”

Information from the municipality

Many people have no problem with it: “I leave home a little earlier to get to school on time.” But according to residents of the area, there is a lack of clear communication from the municipality.

A woman is on her way to work, she has a shop nearby “We did receive a letter, but there was no real good news. I would have preferred that there had been no changes at all.” But not everyone sees it so gloomily: “A short from the municipality has fallen on the mat, and if I had wanted to know more I would have found it on the internet!”

Another passerby wonders how much longer this will be: “We’ll be in this mess for years to come.” The entire Oranje Loper project will last until 2026, but the work on Raadhuisstraat must be completed in the first quarter of this year.