Making way for SAIL Amsterdam
For SAIL Amsterdam 2025, part of the Jan Schaefer Bridge near Java-eiland had to be temporarily removed to allow the tall ships to reach the IJ. CBOX supported this complex transport operation by supplying shipping containers and flatracks as a stable supporting base on the pontoon used to move the 200,000+ kg bridge section.
Rather than transporting or storing cargo, the containers formed part of the temporary supporting structure underneath the bridge section. Their robust construction and ability to handle demanding loads made containers and flatracks suitable components within the engineered setup required for this unusual operation. Once the bridge section was removed, the waterway was opened up for the tall ships that would soon become the centrepiece of SAIL Amsterdam.
Containers in civil engineering
This project shows a completely different side of what shipping containers can do. Their standardised dimensions, steel construction and load-bearing capabilities mean they can sometimes fulfil a role far beyond conventional storage and transport.
In this case, they became part of a temporary civil engineering solution in the heart of Amsterdam, helping make way for one of the city's largest maritime events.
The unusual operation also attracted media attention, with Het Parool covering the removal of the bridge section during the preparations for SAIL Amsterdam 2025.
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