The widening of the A27 between Raamsdonksveer and Utrecht will be approximately half a billion more expensive than planned. And that amount will probably increase even further. Minister Vincent Karremans of Infrastructure and Water Management (VVD) wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives on Monday.
Additional lanes must be created on the 47-kilometer route to alleviate daily traffic jams. Bridges are also being replaced. No definitive contractor has yet been found for one of the bridges, so it is therefore still unknown how much additional costs this will entail.
Karremans expects to need an additional 450 to 570 million. He will pay for this, among other things, from a pot that was set aside for the A27 near Amelisweerd. The Council of State recently ruled that the widening of that stretch of highway near Utrecht should not proceed due to nature regulations.
In the spring of 2025, the then Minister of Infrastructure already set aside 1.4 billion euros for the widening of the A27. But because there was not enough money at the time, the project was carried out in a distributed manner.
Fire letter
Municipalities along the highway sent an urgent letter to the government in April. They are afraid that if the highway is not tackled on time and properly, the region will continue to suffer from traffic jams.
“We have been talking about improving the A27 for twenty years. As far as we are concerned, postponement or even cancellation of various sub-projects is not an option,” wrote alderman Hans Tanis of the municipality of Altena in the urgent letter to Minister Vincent Karremans of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Rijkswaterstaat has already started preparations for the renovation operation. The bridges over the Lek near Nieuwegein are expected to be completed in 2034.
The western Merwede Bridge must be completed in 2031. It is not yet known when the other bridge, for northbound traffic, will be ready for use. A final deal still needs to be reached with a construction company.
That planning also depends on the replacement of a viaduct near Gorinchem and a section of highway on stilts near Werkendam.
