Increased border checks to snarl Dutch highway traffic

Extra security on the border between the Netherlands and Belgium is leading to traffic jams between the two countries. The increased border checks are in response to terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. Around 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday traffic information service VID reported a 20 minute long traffic jam at the border crossing on the A4 by Bergen op Zoom. On the A67 near Eersel there is a delay of more than 40 minutes. Extra border checks are also being done at the Hazeldonk border, but so far the traffic is flowing there, Omroep Brabant reports. Traffic at the border crossings is being routed over one lane. The police randomly pull vehicles over for checks. These extra checks are expected to also cause traffic problems in the coming days. A spokesperson for the police told the broadcaster that the extra checks will remain in place "as long as is necessary". Security was also intensified at Schiphol, Eindhoven and Rotterdam airports as well as at large train stations.