News item | 13-11-2023 | 5:00 PM
Minister Mark Harbers and State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen have spoken with regions in recent weeks about investments in road, water and public transport. Due to the nitrogen problem, a shortage of personnel, rising construction prices and limited financial resources, it is not possible to implement all new plans for the construction of infrastructure in the short term. However, a number of projects have taken a step further.
We are taking the first steps towards widening the N33 Appingedam-Eemshaven. Investments are being made in public transport in the Binckhorst in The Hague and dikes are being strengthened, added and relocated between Baarlo and Hout-Blerick. In the coming years, the focus will be on major maintenance of the existing motorways, railways and waterways such as the IJssel bridges of the A12, the Frisian tracks and the locks in the Meuse.
In the coming years, the government will invest more money than ever in major maintenance of roads and waterways. By pausing 17 road and waterway projects, money for construction can be partly spent on major maintenance and on construction projects that can be carried out but are subject to large price increases. The paused construction projects remain necessary to keep the Netherlands accessible in the future. The projects will be restarted when nitrogen space, money and personnel are available. In the near future, regional authorities will be examining how we can keep the Netherlands as accessible as possible in the coming years.
Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management): “The Netherlands must be easily accessible everywhere. But this is not a given. Unfortunately, we cannot construct many projects in the short term due to nitrogen problems, rising construction prices and a shortage of personnel. At the same time, we are seeing more and more aging and malfunctioning of roads, bridges and locks. That is why we choose to focus on what is possible in the short term and we will get started with major maintenance of our roads, bridges and locks. So that we can also keep the Netherlands easily accessible via existing roads, waterways and railways. As soon as it is possible again, we will continue to build on a solid foundation.”
Widening of N33 and bank connection Appingedam-Eemshaven
In April of This year, in the government’s response to the parliamentary inquiry into natural gas extraction in Groningen, the government made 480 million euros available for high-quality infrastructure in Groningen. Of this, 250 million euros is intended for widening the N33 between Appingedam and Eemshaven and must also provide a bank connection. The project contributes to improving accessibility, traffic flow and road safety on this part of the N33 and improves the accessibility of the port and therefore freight transport.
The first step is to conduct a so-called ‘MIRT study’. The government and the region will investigate, among other things, the task, the various solutions, the costs and the nitrogen task. The research is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. In addition, the government has made an additional 145 million euros available for the widening of the N33 Midden from Zuidbroek to Appingedam. The government and the region are aiming for a restart of this project as quickly as possible and are in consultation with each other about this.
Public transport strengthened throughout the Netherlands
The government and the region are also committed to strengthening public transport throughout the Netherlands. For example, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the province of Zeeland are working together on a digital platform for public transport. The ministry reserves 6 million euros for this. The pilot was announced today during the Accessibility for Everyone conference in Amersfoort. In the coming year, the province wants to work together with the municipalities of Zeeland towards one system for target group transport and regular travelers. The basis of the concept is fast public transport connections throughout the province that are supplemented with transport by vans to the neighborhoods. Travelers will soon be able to plan their trip in Zeeland via an app or via the new Zeeland mobility center.
State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen: “Wherever you live in the Netherlands, you must be able to go to school, the doctor or work. But the same solution is not the best solution everywhere in the Netherlands. That is why it is important to make agreements about tailor-made solutions together with regional administrators. I am proud of the agreements with Zeeland to collaborate on smart solutions for public transport in the province. In this way we ensure that accessibility remains good, even in less densely populated areas.”
In the province of South Holland, agreements have been made to further develop the plans for a High-Quality Public Transport Link (HOV) between The Hague Central Station and Voorburg station with a branch to Rijswijk. Thanks to the HOV connection, the many homes yet to be built in the CID Binckhorst district are easily accessible by public transport.
The investigations into the Lely Line and the Lower Saxony Line are in full swing. It is expected that these can be completed by the end of 2024. For both rail connections, residents will be involved in the research again next year. The studies take a broad look at different routes, so that a better cost estimate can be made.
In North Holland, work will be done on Amsterdam-Zuid station in the coming years. In the coming years, this station will be further developed and expanded with a third platform. This means that more travelers can use this station and international trains can also stop here in the future. It is expected that work on the additional platform will start after 2030.
More water safety in Limburg
The Limburg area between Baarlo and Hout-Blerick faces various challenges in the areas of water safety, nature and quality of life. To tackle these tasks, several measures were proposed in June 2023 that can be implemented simultaneously. A target budget of 35 million euros has been set for this.
According to the plans, the dike in Hout-Blerick will be moved inland. There will also be new dikes in Baarlo Central and South. In addition, water quality is improved by constructing seepage channels. These are extra channels along the water in which plants and animals can live. The plans are currently being worked out in more concrete terms. For example, it is being examined whether additional seepage channels can be added.
Freight transport
In order to further develop the multimodal junction near Tilburg, it is very important that Lock II Wilhelmina Canal is addressed so that larger ships can sail through it. The government and the region are committed to solving the latest challenges in the field of nitrogen, finance and capacity in the short term, so that the new lock can be realized.
By using sensors and cameras, capacity at rail yards can be used up to 25% more effectively. A test at the Botlek rail yard has shown that good results can be achieved with this method. That is why there are now new test locations in Rotterdam Maasvlakte West, Moerdijk and Amsterdam Houtrakpolder. The ministry has allocated 4.35 million euros for this.
Cycling for everyone
As many people as possible should be able to cycle in the Netherlands. To make it easier to cycle, the national government, municipalities, social partners and companies signed the Cycling for Everyone City Deal in October. Agreements have been made that everyone who wants to can get on a bicycle. This not only means access to a good, safe and suitable bicycle, but also that investments must be made in the skills to cycle safely. To keep cycling attractive in the Netherlands, a cycling country, good cycling routes are also important. The annual budget of 6 million euros will therefore be used in a bundled manner, resulting in 18 million euros being invested in new cycle routes over the next three years. The bundling ensures that more cycling projects can be started earlier and more easily.