There is little hope for the restart of four major infrastructure projects in Brabant. This is apparent from an overview of outgoing minister Sophie Hermans (VVD) of Infrastructure and Water Management. The projects at the A2, the A67, the A58 and the Volkerak locks were stopped two years ago, but it is difficult to restart due to a lack of budget, manpower and strict nitrogen rules. One of the projects threatens to grow into ‘one of the largest traffic bottlenecks in the Netherlands’ if nothing happens.
The previous cabinet paused fourteen large projects in 2023, including four in Brabant, to free up a total of 4 billion euros. The large projects are intended, for example, to better organize the flow of traffic, such as on the A67, the A58 and the A2, but also to limit the long waiting times for shipping traffic to the Volkerak locks.
Huddle
The minister’s overview shows that restarting the projects is difficult. For example, the project on the A2 between Deil, Den Bosch and Vught is currently in trouble getting around the required budget of 1 billion euros. In addition, it is difficult to free up enough nitrogen space for approaching the highway.
If nothing happens to the A2, the route grows into ‘one of the largest traffic bottlenecks in the country’, can be read in the letter of Parliament. That is why a proposal was previously made to cut the project in different phases and thus press the budget. That turned out not to be possible. The two bridges on the route over the Maas and the Waal must be tackled at the same time.
Nitrogen
There are also big bumps on the road on other processes. The renovations on the A67 between Leenderheide and Geldrop and the A58 between Breda and Tilburg and St. Annabosch and Galder are struggling with restart problems due to the limited nitrogen spaces a shortage of manpower.
To mitigate the consequences of pausing the project on the A58, the government decided in 2024 to make 23 million euros available. With this money, it was possible to focus on ‘mitigating measures’, such as the development of a better public transport point in Lage Zwaluwe and tackling sneak traffic in the surrounding villages.
In addition, plans for the expansion of the Volkerak locks have also been in the fridge for two years. There should be a fourth lock to improve the flow at the busy water junction and to reduce the waiting times for ships. Nevertheless, a shortage of budget and manpower throws a spanner in the works for the restart of the plan.
It is not yet clear when the paused projects can be restarted. Rijkswaterstaat hopes that the staff shortage will decrease in the coming years and that there can be a focus on the construction projects that are now still stinging. In the letter, however, the ministry emphasizes that maintenance work is given priority over the plans that are stopped.
