Amsterdam’s former transport chief, Melanie van der Horst, knew before March’s local elections that a planned cycle and pedestrian bridge over the IJ would cost up to €850 million – more than double the sum set aside – but did not tell the city council, documents released under a freedom of information request show.

Van der Horst, who is now the city’s head of economic affairs and was also lead candidate for the social-liberal party D66 at the elections, had been told by officials that the estimate for the Oostbrug had risen to between €650 million and €850 million, compared with the €325 million budgeted. The papers were obtained by Amsterdam broadcaster AT5.

Officials circulated the final estimate internally around December 2 and, according to AT5, explicitly gave Van der Horst the choice of making the figures public before or after the vote. At a meeting on February 12 it was decided to keep the older, lower amounts in the city’s official investment note.

Eight days before the elections Van der Horst was given a presentation setting out how the new range had been calculated. During the campaign she cited the IJ crossings as one of her administration’s achievements.

The new estimates only surfaced in early June, when the city published the documents handed to coalition negotiators.

The bridge, which at 1.2 kilometres would be one of the longest in the country, is being paid for jointly by the council and the regional transport authority Vervoerregio Amsterdam.

Emergency debate
Seven opposition parties – PvdD, Volt, JA21, Denk, BIJ1, CDA and SP – said in a joint statement they were shocked by the revelations but were not yet drawing conclusions, and an emergency debate has been requested. The coalition party PRO and D66’s own council group have also said they want answers.

Van der Horst declined to comment, referring questions to Elise Moeskops (D66), who took over the transport brief. Moeskops said the provisional estimates carry wide margins and could still change, that work on the design is continuing and that a final figure is not expected until early next year.