New A2 tunnel under Maastricht opens with unrelated traffic jam

The new Koning Willem-Alexander Tunnel on the A2 under Maastricht officially opened to traffic on Friday morning. And while there is a traffic jam on the A2 from Eindhoven to Maastricht, it is unrelated to the tunnel, according to the ANWB. Motorists should take 20 minutes of extra travel time into account because of this traffic jam.

A bus with dignitaries, including Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen, was the first to drive through the tunnel - north to south. Behind the bus was a small traffic jam of enthusiasts who wanted to be among the first through the tunnel, according to NOS.

The two-story, 2.4 kilometer long tunnel took 5 years to build. It is expected to reduce the time it takes to travel passed Maastricht on the A2 to only 3 minutes.