Two lanes of Schiphol tunnel open for rush hour

The Schiphol tunnel is partially open to motorists again after being completely closed since Monday afternoon. Two lanes will be open during rush hour for motorists who want to take the A4 from Amsterdam, the Dutch public works department Rijkswaterstaat announced on Wednesday morning, AD reports.

Rijkswaterstaat also planned to open two lanes on Tuesday morning and afternoon, but eventually couldn't do so because the lanes did not meet the safety requirements. They do so now. The other four lanes will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

A small fire broke out in the Schiphol tunnel on Monday afternoon. It was quickly extinguished and no one was injured, but 70 cables were damaged. And replacing them takes time.

The cables supply power to the tunnel to run the matrix boards and cameras that monitor traffic. According to Rijkswaterstaat, without these facilities, the tunnel is not safe to use.