News item | 17-10-2025 | 18:49
A new cabinet must make clear choices for structure-strengthening infrastructure projects such as the Merwedelijn and the Hoevelaken junction. To keep new and existing homes, businesses and facilities accessible in the future, money must be made available on a structural basis. Minister Tieman of Infrastructure and Water Management and Minister Keijzer of Housing and Spatial Planning wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives. Decision-making on this is up to the next cabinet.
Today, the House of Representatives is informed in the letter ‘Long-term perspective on Infrastructure and Housing’ about what the next government can do to improve the accessibility of new and existing homes and businesses in the future. The most important recommendation is to choose ‘structure-strengthening projects’ and make them financially possible by working from a long-term perspective specifically for this type of projects. In addition to large-scale new infrastructure projects, it also concerns the growing need to maintain, renovate and replace existing infrastructure.
Minister Tieman: “In recent years, the shortage of money, manpower and permits has caused major projects to be paused. If we want to ensure that there are enough easily accessible homes in our country, we must opt for good and sufficient infrastructure. Nobody wants to live in a place where you cannot get to or where the neighborhood is not convenient.”
Minister Keijzer: “Solving the housing shortage is one of the most important priorities for the coming years. That is why we have designated more than 100 new housing construction locations in the Spatial Draft Memorandum. Good infrastructure is indispensable here, because without infrastructure those homes are inaccessible and construction will not continue. But strong companies and military transport also require investments in infrastructure. It is important that we make choices for structure-strengthening infrastructure such as the Merwedelijn and Hoevelaken junction and that we make sufficient money available for this with a long-term perspective.
Accessibility
Accessibility is a condition for a country where life is pleasant, with a healthy economy. We use our roads, railways and waterways to get to work, school and family, to supply supermarkets, deliver parcels and keep our economy running. As the population continues to grow, the need for mobility increases and we continue to build 100,000 homes per year on a structural basis. Strengthening and expanding good infrastructure is essential to make and keep new and existing homes easily accessible. In addition, geopolitical changes place higher demands on our infrastructure, for example when it comes to military transport.
Shortages and lack of perspective
Due to shortages of workers, money, physical space and difficulty in obtaining permits due to, among other things, nitrogen and a focus on short-term and individual projects with a regional focus, it is difficult to implement structure-strengthening projects. Because the government offers too little long-term certainty, implementation organizations and market parties cannot adapt to a growing demand for the implementation of construction projects.
Further infrastructure development
The new National Environmental Vision, the Spatial Design Memorandum, provides direction for the spatial development of the Netherlands towards 2050 and beyond. With the Draft Spatial Memorandum, the cabinet has opted for strengthening and expanding the urban network in the Netherlands and powerful regions with an independent character. Studies and forecasts show that further infrastructure development is necessary to keep the Netherlands accessible to a growing population. Examples of projects that should make this possible are the Lelylijn, the IJmeer connection to Almere, the Merwedelijn near Utrecht, the Hoevelaken junction near Amersfoort and the (international) accessibility of Brainport Eindhoven. In addition to the call to structurally reserve more money, the government is investigating in the run-up to a new cabinet to what extent the start-up and completion time of large-scale projects can be shortened.