Western Scheldt tunnel toll-free from 2025

The Western Scheldt Tunnel will become permanently toll-free for passenger cars from 1 January 2025. The government has made 140 million euros available for this purpose. This was announced by outgoing Minister Harbers of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Abolition of the toll is a great wish of many Zeelanders. The Western Scheldt Tunnel is an important link between Zeeland, Flanders and West Brabant. Passenger cars now have to pay 5 euros per passage. People who use the tunnel more often usually pay 3 euros each time that they pass the toll gates.

Deputy Harry van der Maas: “This is good news for the people of Zeeland 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.”

Both the deputy and the minister find the toll for Zeelanders “unjust”. “The rest of the country does not pay for their routes either,” says Van der Maas.

It was already clear that the Western Scheldt Tunnel would become toll-free in the future. For a long time it was assumed that this would not happen until 2033. Last year, a motion to make the tunnel toll-free earlier was unanimously adopted in the House of Representatives.

Last weekend, CDA party leader Henri Bontebal revealed in the Debate of the South that the decision for a toll-free Western Scheldt tunnel would be announced today by the minister, writes Broadcasting Zeeland .