Motorists are in danger of coming to a standstill en masse on Brabant’s roads because a number of major infrastructure projects have been halted by the government. The Provincial Council of our province expressed this fear on Friday.
Minister Mark Harbers halted various infrastructure projects in June due to the nitrogen problem, rising construction prices and a tight labor market. The widening of the A58 between Breda and Tilburg, the A67 between Eindhoven and Geldrop and the A2 near Den Bosch has been postponed.
Traffic jams are increasing
Traffic jams in Brabant are therefore likely to increase by 20 to 25 percent in the coming years, according to calculations by the province.
“You can maintain the roads until you weigh an ounce, but that will not improve the flow. It cannot be the case that in 2030 we will stop en masse on excellently maintained infrastructure,” said Kevin Nuijten of JA21.
Deputy Stijn Smeulders (mobility) was still displeased about Harbers’ decision. “It puts serious pressure on the reliability of the central government as a partner. These are projects that have been worked on for ten years and then the central government unilaterally says: we are not going to do it.”
‘Tenacious’
PvdA faction leader Ward Deckers called on Smeulders to be persistent. “The ease with which Brabant has been abandoned by the government deserves that tenacity.”
The politicians ruled that Harbers’ decision would not have been made for the Randstad. “It is crazy that the A58 is twice two-lane. If it had been in the Randstad, this would have been addressed long ago,” said PVV member Tjerk Langman.
Several parties also saw opportunities in the current situation. Laura van Hazendonk (GroenLinks) mentioned the ‘opportunity to now opt for a sustainable transport system in which not the car but public transport and the bicycle are central’.