Rijkswaterstaat is taking action after the huge traffic jams that occurred on Friday due to roadworks on the A2 from Utrecht to Den Bosch. Some people were stuck on the highway for five to six hours. “Very annoying,” says spokesman Johan de Boer of Rijkswaterstaat. “Snapping traffic in particular is a problem. We discussed with the municipality of Nieuwegein on Friday night that we are going to take extra measures.” For example, traffic controllers are being deployed and shortcuts are being closed.
The next five weeks, work will continue on the road surface of the A2. The road will therefore be closed during the weekend. During the week, the road will be closed in the evening and at night, and during the day, fewer lanes will be open. There will also be a few Fridays on which the road will be closed. “We have to renew eleven kilometres of asphalt. That also means that we have to draw 66 kilometres of new white lines. So that’s a big job,” says De Boer.
Rijkswaterstaat has informed people in advance that the project will cause extra travel time. “We hope that road users will choose another route, work from home or take public transport,” says De Boer. “Yesterday it rained and there were some rear-end collisions. That doesn’t help either. People are also more likely to take the car when it rains.”
On Friday, road users were stuck in traffic for hours. “It’s very annoying, we think so too. We try to warn people, because you don’t want it to happen to anyone,” says De Boer. “The traffic jam will be different on Saturday and Sunday, because there is no evening rush hour.”
Measures against rat-running
According to De Boer, the rat-running around Nieuwegein in particular caused extra congestion. That is why Rijkswaterstaat immediately consulted with the municipality of Nieuwegein during the night from Friday to Saturday. “Traffic controllers will be deployed and certain roads within the municipality will be closed off to reduce rat-running.”
Rijkswaterstaat also continues to remind travellers that it is better to take a different route. “It is useful to check the ANWB traffic information before you leave. That is the most adequate.”
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