The Coentunnel near Amsterdam was again the most dangerous stretch of highway in the Netherlands last year. In the tunnel between hectometer pole 30.0 and 30.9, 72 accidents occurred on the left lane last year. That is the second highest number of accidents that have ever occurred on a kilometer of highway in a year. The A10 appears again in the top 10 of most dangerous road sections and the Holendrecht junction can also be found.
This is evident from figures from Incident Management Netherlands Foundation (SIMN). The Coentunnel section is now the most dangerous stretch of highway in the country for the fourth time in five years. In 2022, things happened 57 accidents on the piece.
Highest measurement also at Coentunnel
The 72 accidents is the second highest number ever measured, only in 2013 the peak was higher. That was also on the same section of the Coentunnel at the time. The west tube was then renovated, meaning that southbound traffic temporarily had to drive through narrowed lanes through the east tube of the tunnel.
According to SIMN, the Coentunnel has often been the most dangerous stretch of highway in the Netherlands because motorists are often surprised by the abrupt transition from daylight to the darkness of the tunnel, or are suddenly blinded by sunlight when they drive out. This happens in more tunnels, but in the Coen tunnel the lanes would be narrower.
The other stretch of A10 that is in the top 10 is between hectometer pole 14.0 and 14.9. That is on the South ring road near Duivendrecht. This year, 43 accidents occurred there, putting the kilometer in sixth place. Last year the stretch was in third place with 47 accidents.
Holendrecht junction
Last year there were still three sections on the A10 on the list, but the section between hectometer pole 15.0 and 15.9 has disappeared from the list. Yet an Amsterdam newcomer is in the top ten: the viaduct from the A9 to the A2 towards Utrecht at the Holendrecht junction. The stretch of road consists of two viaducts that come together. Last year the point was in place 198, this year in place 8 with 40 accidents. In October and November, ten collisions occurred here in both months, almost all of them at the place where the two carriageways of the A9 meet.
According to SIMN, the increase in the number of accidents is due to increased traffic pressure. “The traffic that drives here comes from the Gaasperdammerweg. This stretch of highway was widened from three to five lanes in 2020. Partly due to the corona measures, it took a while before road users discovered this wealth of fresh asphalt. But in 2023 the new connection for the first at full speed. And that caused a lot of damage in the sharp bend to Utrecht.”