Thursday’s morning commute became the most congested of the year so far, with traffic jams across the Netherlands reaching a peak of 577 kilometres, according to Rijkswaterstaat. By around 9:00 a.m., congestion had eased but still measured 450 kilometres, causing significant delays, particularly around major cities.
Rijkswaterstaat attributed the gridlock to a combination of heavy rain and several traffic accidents. Some of the worst disruptions occurred on the A7 and A9 motorways in North Holland, where crashes added up to 70 minutes to journey times.
The Dutch motorists’ association ANWB, which also includes N-roads in its calculations, recorded an even higher peak of 935 kilometres of traffic jams. Based on its measurements, Thursday marked the second-busiest morning rush hour of the year.
ANWB described the commute as a “very busy morning rush hour”, with motorists nationwide facing difficult driving conditions and widespread delays.
@anp | NEWSBRAINPORT
