Dutch roads see busiest rush hour of 2026 with over 1,000 km of traffic jams

The Netherlands recorded its busiest rush hour of the year on Wednesday, with traffic jams stretching 1,046 kilometres nationwide, the ANWB reported. Heavy congestion had been anticipated as many people took time off and travelled ahead of the Ascension Day holiday period. A freak hailstorm may have triggered the widespread traffic chaos across the Dutch motorways.

Two evening rush hours in January also saw severe congestion because of snowfall, with one of those days reaching 1,020 kilometres of traffic jams, a spokesperson said. On Wednesday, congestion peaked at 1,046 kilometres at around 5:25 p.m., after which traffic conditions gradually improved.

Earlier on Wednesday, an ANWB spokesperson said the heavy traffic was “moving in every direction,” with Dutch travellers heading to Germany and Belgium, while visitors from those countries were also travelling into the Netherlands.

She reported heavy congestion on the A16 from Rotterdam to Breda and on the A2 from Maastricht to Eindhoven. “In addition to the usual traffic, the situation is being made worse by accidents, including those involving trucks,” she noted.

The hail storm may have contributed to a significant crash on the A12 near Maarsbergen and a series of truck-related collisions. The A2 was hit particularly hard by two separate accidents, one involving two trucks and another involving a truck and a van, while the southbound A27 near Lunetten saw a car caught in a pile-up between two heavy goods vehicles.

The disruptions extended to the A10 near the Amstel, where three lanes were forced shut, the A15 with the closure of the Noordtunnel near Gorinchem, and the southbound A67 near the Belgian border, leaving commuters facing extensive delays throughout the region.

Severe congestion was also reported at several locations across Zuid-Holland and in the area around Utrecht.