A27 freeway widening, what’s the state of play?

Highway A27: from Breda to Almere

The A27 runs from the Sint Annabosch interchange near Breda to Almere. The highway connects the northern part of the Randstad and northern Netherlands with northern Brabant and Belgium. It is an important “lifeline” of the Netherlands, but for years the A27 has been far too small for the traffic it carries on a daily basis.

Traffic jams, lots of traffic jams

Motorists are also frequently stuck in traffic jams in the south near Breda, but even more so between Houten and the Hooipolder interchange. Intervention is necessary to reduce traffic congestion and cut down on the region’s shortcuts. Because now when the traffic is jammed, people get off the highway en masse to take the shortcut.

“Over the years, the A27 has been heavily congested by more and more and heavier traffic.”

Rijkswaterstaat

Time for action

That shouldn’t be the case, the Department of Public Works believes. Therefore, it is time for action. That “action” was announced years ago, but since then motorists have seen very little in the way of roadworks on the A27. That’s because the preparation work takes a long time, as does applying for all the permits. It remains the Netherlands, though.

Widen 47 kilometers of A27

In 2023, that’s when road work should begin. In total, the Department of Public Works will widen 47 kilometers of the A27. There will be additional lanes and rush-hour lanes. In addition, the Hooipolder interchange will also be modified and Rijkswaterstaat will renovate or replace most of the bridges on the route, namely the Houtensebrug, Hagesteinsebrug, Merwedebrug and Keizersveerbrug. Measures are also taken to avoid further burdening the quality of life in the surrounding area and to improve it where possible.

“Tackling the Hooipolder interchange, replacing 3 bridges, widening 1 existing bridge and making a connection for Groote Haar business park. This is how we renew the infrastructure and improve traffic flow, safety and livability in the area for decades to come.”

Rijkswaterstaat

Planning A27, ready in 2029 at the earliest

It is a long-term project, as the Hooipolder interchange is not scheduled to open until 2026. Between 2029 and 2031, the opening of the southern alignment, namely Everdingen-Hooipolder, will take place. Traffic is undoubtedly going to be affected by all the work, as the A27 is one of the busiest highways in the Netherlands. So motorists are better off adapting by working from home more often or choosing another route if they really have to.

Video: widening of A27 Houten-Hooipolder

As recently as 2021, the video below was published. Note: This video about the widening A27 Houten-Hooipolder gives indications about the planning, but these are now out of date. The years mentioned in this article are current at the time of publication.