200 kilometres of traffic jams on Dutch highways due to NATO summit closures

The Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) has reported that there were more than 200 kilometres of traffic jams in the Netherlands during the morning rush hour on June 23. High amounts of traffic are to be expected on Dutch roads due to the closure of several highways for the NATO summit in The Hague.

Several Dutch roads closed for NATO summit in The Hague

With the NATO summit set to take place on June 24 and 25, several roads have been closed as of June 22. Despite warnings from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) for residents to work from home to avoid transport disruptions, on Monday at 7.50am, there were no fewer than 50 traffic jams totalling 200 kilometres across the country.

According to ANWB, the busiest motorways are the A2, A15, A27 and A50. Drivers on the A27 in particular, travelling around Noord Brabant, Utrecht, Zuid Holland and Flevoland, were sitting in a 28-kilometre-long traffic jam. 

Due to the NATO summit, the A44 and N44 towards The Hague have been closed, as well as the A5 near Schiphol Airport, NOS reported. Several lanes of the A4 from Amsterdam to The Hague have also been closed for the transport of government leaders.

Dutch residents reminded to work from home

For weeks, Rijkswaterstaat has been advising people in the Netherlands to work from home as much as possible to avoid major traffic disruptions. Those who do need to travel are urged to avoid roads in the Randstad and use public transport.

There will be further road closures on Wednesday: the A44 will be closed in both directions, and the N434 on the south side of Leiden will also be shut. All road closures will end on the morning of Friday, June 27.