There was an eight percent increase in traffic jams on Dutch roads in 2024

The traffic jam severity (the length times the duration of the traffic jam) on the roads in the Netherlands increased by eight percent in 2024 compared to 2023, ANWB reported based on traffic information from TomTom. Although it was somewhat calmer when it comes to traffic jams for the first six months, the summer and autumn led to a “significant increase in traffic jams,” according to ANWB.

The traffic information service thinks that the increase in traffic jams was mainly due to the growth in population and the increase of cars on the road. Noticeably, there were a lot more traffic jams during the day than last year, an increase of 18 percent. Especially Wednesdays and Thursdays were busier, with an increase of 40 percent and 25 percent respectively.

There were also a lot more delays during the weekend due to a lot of construction on the roads, ANWB reported a 45 percent increase in traffic jams in the weekend compared to 2023. The traffic jam severity increased by six percent during the morning and evening rush hours.

The traffic jam problems are also occurring in more and more regions. The traffic jam severity increased in all the provinces, except for the Northern part of the country.

Mixed results can be seen in the busiest provinces of the country. Traffic congestion increased by more than three percent In Zuid-Holland, while it actually decreased in Noord-Brabant by three percent.

The biggest bottleneck this year was the A27 from Lexmond to Werkendam, which, just like last year, topped the ANWB's “traffic jam top 10.” It was followed by the A4 from Den Haag-Zuid to the Ketheltunnel and the A2 from the Empel interchange to Kerkdriel. New to this list are the A58 from Tilburg-Reeshof to Bavel in fourth place, and the A20 from Capelle aan den IJssel to the Terbregseplein interchange, in tenth place.

The ANWB also noted that some of the areas with the biggest traffic jams last year disappeared from the list this year. The N434 road in Leiden was opened in July this has led to a better flow of traffic on the N206 through Leiden and the A44 by Wassenaar. Work on the Ring Zuid in Groningen also led to a reduction in traffic. The new A24 road between Vlaardingen and Rozenburg is also set to open this month.

A lot of delays are also expected for drivers in 2025. Rijkswaterstaat is working on the road in many places, which leads to certain roads being closed for days. One of these roads is the A12 from Arnhem towards The Hague between Veenendaal and the node Lunetten, the N33 from Veendam toward Assen, and around parts of the Ring of Amsterdam (A10).

Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), the Dutch association for transport and logistics, said that the extra traffic jams "will naturally cause economic damage to the logistics sector." A spokesperson for the business organization could not say how much this extra damage is at the moment.