Building group BAM has been contracted by Utrecht city council to start building what it claims will be the world’s biggest bike park – a three storey construction with space for 12,500 bicycles.

The initial contract, to build the first phase of the bike park, is worth €8m. The total cost of the project is €48m, BAM says.

The underground bike park will form part of the redevelopment of the area around Utrecht’s central station and will be completed by 2018.