News item | 20-11-2023 | 2:00 PM
Minister Harbers of Infrastructure and Water Management and Deputy Van der Maas have made agreements to make the Western Scheldt tunnel toll-free for at least passenger traffic by 2025. This fulfills a long-cherished wish of the Zeelanders. The government is making 140 million euros available to make the tunnel toll-free early. Today, Monday November 20, these agreements were officially concluded with the signing of an administrative agreement.
Minister Harbers: “I am very happy for the residents of Zeeland that the tunnel will be toll-free as of 2025. This is a long-cherished wish of the people of Zeeland and it is great that we can now make that wish come true, in good cooperation with the province of Zeeland.”
Deputy Van der Maas: “I am very satisfied with the great agreements we have been able to make with the government. This is good news for the Zeelanders who had to spend a lot of money for years to drive through the tunnel. A toll-free Western Scheldt tunnel is an important boost for the quality of life and economy of Zeeland. I will continue to work tirelessly to make the tunnel toll-free for freight traffic as well.”
Performance
The Province of Zeeland, together with the NV Westerscheldetunnel, will make further preparations for the actual opening of the toll gates by 2025 and implement the decisions taken. . The government will of course remain involved in this. The 140 million euros that the government is making available is intended to cover missed toll revenues that would otherwise be paid by users in the coming years. This amount covers the lost income until 2030 if Pay-as-you-go is provided. Agreements have also been made for the period 2030 – 2033. By making the tunnel toll-free for passenger cars and motorcycles, an important step has now been taken towards a completely toll-free tunnel. No money is yet available to make the tunnel toll-free for freight traffic. However, the national government and the Province of Zeeland have agreed to make efforts to resolve this issue in the near future.
The Western Scheldt Tunnel
The Western Scheldt Tunnel was opened in 2003 and connects Zuid-Beveland with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and is exclusively intended for road traffic. Before the construction of the tunnel, there was only a connection here with car ferry services. These were lifted when the tunnel opened. The Western Scheldt Tunnel is the only connection between the islands and is therefore important for accessibility within Zeeland. The tunnel is operated by NV Westerscheldetunnel. When it opened in 2003, the NV was largely owned by the government. Since July 1, 2009, the Province of Zeeland has been the sole shareholder. The construction of the tunnel is financed on the basis of tolls for a period of 30 years, until 2033. Users reimburse the costs for the construction by paying tolls. The desire to abolish tolls has grown in recent years. Making toll-free contributes to the quality of life and the economy in Zeeland. By making the tunnel toll-free for passenger transport by 2025, the end of toll collection has been brought forward by 8 years.