| Eastern Tube | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Amsterdam |
| Status | Active |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Vehicles per day | 109,400 vehicles |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.283 m |
The Coen Tunnel (1966) 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[1] 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.