Noord-Brabant warns of growing traffic issues as highway projects face major cuts

Accessibility, livability, and traffic safety in Noord-Brabant are suffering significantly due to the postponement of seven major highway projects in the province, warned Provincial Executive Stijn Smeulders (Mobility). Of the 2.5 billion euros previously pledged by the national government, more than 1.5 billion euros have been withdrawn, he said. “It is therefore absolutely essential that a new Cabinet makes substantial investments in the province,” the PvdA official stated.

“The credibility of the national government is really at stake here,” said Smeulders, who questioned the Cabinet’s reliability. “It’s frustrating to see how little progress is being made in The Hague. In recent years, far too much has come to a halt in Noord-Brabant.”

He pointed to the recent suspension of the improvement project for the A50, for which the reserved funds have been withdrawn. The same applies to projects on the A2, A67, and A58. In several other cases, funding is still available, but implementation is delayed by years.

Postponements due to nitrogen-related issues are something the provincial executive can still understand, but “straightforward budget cuts to plug holes elsewhere” are completely unacceptable, he said.

Of the 2.5 billion euros that had been pledged, roughly 60 percent has vanished, according to Smeulders. “There is absolutely no guarantee that that money will be invested in Noord-Brabant at a later stage.”

The province is investing in express cycling routes and public transportation, but tackling the congested highways requires action from the national government. “Because you can be sure that cut-through traffic through our villages will increase if the highways remain jammed every day. We’re calling on the next Cabinet to change that,” he said.