Coen Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Coen Tunnel is a tunnel under the North Sea Canal
in western Amsterdam
. The tunnel is named after the Coen port in the vicinity which was named after Jan Pieterszoon Coen
. The tunnel itself is 1283 metres long of which 587 metres are fully covered. The tunnel connects the Zaan
district with the western part of Amsterdam. The tunnel reaches a maximum depth of 22 metres.
Before the tunnel was built the Hem ferry was the most important connection between Amsterdam and Zaandam
which formed a serious bottleneck for traffic. In 1959 5.800 vehicles were ferried daily and waiting times reached 45 minutes or more. In the 1950s inhabitants petitioned successfully for a tunnel under the North Sea Canal.
Construction commenced in 1961 and the total cost amounted to 45 million Dutch guilders. The opening of the tunnel was inaugurated on the 21st of June 1966 by Queen Juliana.
Since its opening the tunnel has been a great success. Currently with more than 100.000 vehicles passing daily congestion
is once more an issue. A second Coentunnel has been procured under a Public-private partnership
structure and construction is planned to start in the summer of 2009.
North Sea Canal
The North Sea Canal is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam...
in western Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. The tunnel is named after the Coen port in the vicinity which was named after Jan Pieterszoon Coen
Jan Pieterszoon Coen
Jan Pieterszoon Coen was a officer of the Dutch East India Company in the early seventeenth century, holding two terms as its Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies....
. The tunnel itself is 1283 metres long of which 587 metres are fully covered. The tunnel connects the Zaan
Zaan
The Zaan is a small river in the province of North-Holland in The Netherlands and the name of the district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ bay and travels 10 kilometers through the municipality of Zaanstad north of Amsterdam, from West-Knollendam in the north...
district with the western part of Amsterdam. The tunnel reaches a maximum depth of 22 metres.
Before the tunnel was built the Hem ferry was the most important connection between Amsterdam and Zaandam
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
which formed a serious bottleneck for traffic. In 1959 5.800 vehicles were ferried daily and waiting times reached 45 minutes or more. In the 1950s inhabitants petitioned successfully for a tunnel under the North Sea Canal.
Construction commenced in 1961 and the total cost amounted to 45 million Dutch guilders. The opening of the tunnel was inaugurated on the 21st of June 1966 by Queen Juliana.
Since its opening the tunnel has been a great success. Currently with more than 100.000 vehicles passing daily congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
is once more an issue. A second Coentunnel has been procured under a Public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
structure and construction is planned to start in the summer of 2009.