Dutch drivers warned to avoid Limburg highways due to snow

Dutch infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat told the public they should not use the highways in Limburg until late Wednesday evening. The bulletin was issued because of the snowfall in the region.

There were significant delays on the highways in Limburg due to traffic jams. Gritters were unable to pass through the traffic, making it very difficult to combat icy conditions on the roads.

Driving conditions were therefore becoming increasingly worse, the organization said. More and more people were finding themselves stuck, leading to the "urgent appeal" not to go on the highway until late in the evening.

On the A2, delays in both directions increased to 180 minutes, a spokesperson said. Driving speed also slowed to walking pace on other highways in the region.

A Code Yellow weather warning was in force in Limburg because of the expected prolonged snowfall. On Wednesday evening, 5 to 10 centimeters will fall in the southern Limburg region, and that could increase to 10 to 15 centimeters in the Limburg Hills. Code Yellow was also in effect in Noord-Brabant, but less snow was falling there.

Rijkswaterstaat said it was tackling the Limburg highways "with all its might" and with "heavy machines" to address the situation. But there were fears that snow will freeze due to the low temperatures on the ground, causing ice to form.