Rijkswaterstaat is carrying out major roadworks across the Netherlands throughout summer 2026, and extra travel time on the busiest routes can stretch to a full hour.
The national roads authority, Rijkswaterstaat, is working on motorways, bridges, and tunnels in many parts of the country this summer.
Disruptions will be hard to avoid, the news bulletin notes, especially around the Randstad (the densely populated western region that includes Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht).
In addition to official roadworks, provinces, municipalities, and rail operator ProRail have their own maintenance schedules this summer. Even if you dodge one closure, another might be waiting further down the road.
These Dutch motorways are affected
Several big routes are seeing work this summer. Most notably, the A1 towards Amsterdam is fully closed between the Eemnes and Muiderberg junctions until August 17, with drivers warned of up to 60 minutes of extra travel time.
Beyond that, Rijkswaterstaat lists works on:
- the A12 between Lunetten and Veenendaal,
- the A27 between Everdingen and Gorinchem,
- the A7 in Groningen,
- the A20 between Kleinpolderplein and Terbregseplein towards Gouda,
- the Wijkertunnel (A9),
- and the A32 between Steenwijk and Heerenveen.
Add tunnels and bridges to the list, too
The Wijkertunnel on the A9 is shut in both directions from July 12 to August 8 while its ventilation system is replaced. Local traffic is being sent via the Velsertunnel, while drivers from outside the IJmond region are advised to use the Coentunnel on the A10.
Prepare for additional travel time, with Rijkswaterstaat noting: “During the morning rush hour (Alkmaar – Haarlem), there will be delays of approximately 30 minutes on the A9. During the evening rush hour (Haarlem – Alkmaar), delays can increase to up to 60 minutes.”
Meanwhile, the Papendrechtsebrug between Dordrecht and Papendrecht (N3) faces a much longer closure, shut to road traffic in both directions from July 17 through April 21, 2027.
Plus, works in the north
Though the Randstad will see the worst of the traffic disruptions, the north isn’t spared in the latest wave of roadworks.
Due to “major maintenance” on the N48 between Hoogeveen and Balkbrug, the road will be closed to all traffic between the Hoogeveen interchange (A28/A37) and the junction with the N377 near Balkbrug. According to Rijkswaterstaat, works are expected to last from August 3 to August 29.
In addition, there will be work on the A7 between Winschoten and the German border, including asphalt renewal and repairs to a bridge near Bad Nieuweschans.
Here’s how to keep your trip moving
Rijkswaterstaat’s main advice is to check your route before you leave, avoid rush hour where you can, and consider working from home or switching to the train or bike.
Plus, each closure has its own timeline, with some about to finish and others stretching into 2027. Before road tripping across the Netherlands this summer, it’s worth checking whether a closure actually falls on your route.
Rijkswaterstaat keeps live updates and planned works on its traffic information site, and you can plan a specific journey through the VanAnaarBeter route planner. (Let op: these are in Dutch, so you’ll want to have Google Translate loaded on your web browser if you can’t read it.)
If your route is affected, travelling outside the morning and evening peaks makes the biggest difference. Rijkswaterstaat singles out the morning rush as the worst time to get caught in it.
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