The Dutch government is set to make a substantial investment in the widening of the A2/N2 motorway at the Eindhoven ring road. While the exact details of the project are yet to be finalised, at least one additional lane will certainly be added. “This widening is essential if ASML is to continue expanding in Eindhoven,” said a government spokesperson.
Earlier this year, the so-called Beethoven Deal was agreed upon by the central government, the province, local municipalities, and the regional business community. With an investment of around 2.5 billion euros, the deal aims to prepare the region for significant growth and enhance its liveability. This includes building sufficient housing, investing in education, and expanding both road and rail infrastructure. Additionally, the deal seeks to ensure that major technology companies such as ASML and NXP remain in the region.
In the meantime, the stakeholders involved have made further progress in terms of allocating and distributing these funds.
Highway
The latest agreements reveal that more than half a billion euros will be allocated for the widening of the A2/N2 on the Eindhoven ring road. This also includes funding for a rapid bus transport system linking the various Brainport campuses. The majority of this funding, over 415 million euros, will come from The Hague. “We don’t yet know the exact details of the widening, but at least one additional lane will be added,” said Eindhoven alderman Stijn Steenbakkers. According to him, the extra road capacity is necessary. “ASML is expanding in Eindhoven, at the Brainport Industries Campus, and this will inevitably lead to increased traffic.”
In addition to the expanded motorway and new slip roads, plans are also being explored to improve bicycle access around the BIC campus. For the wider Brainport region, a total of 200 million euros has been earmarked for improvements to cycle paths and public transport. Most of this funding is being contributed by regional municipalities and local businesses.
Alternatives
Besides agreements on the A2/N2, the parties involved also want to take steps when it comes to that other busy motorway in the region, the A67. The previous cabinet decided to put the widening of the A67 between Eindhoven and Geldrop on hold. That will not change. However, the province and regional municipalities may now start working on alternatives, to reduce traffic on this stretch of motorway. Steenbakkers: ‘That could be anything. You have to think, for instance, of new cycle paths or buses being allowed to use the hard shoulder.’
Housing
Furthermore, the province, state and municipalities hope to take steps around further boosting housing construction. For instance, there is a pot of 245 million euros, which can be used to accelerate the construction of 17,000 houses and almost 2,300 student units. Two-thirds of those homes should also be ‘affordable’ for most residents. So to make this possible, additional subsidies could be paid to make certain housing projects more financeable. The money should also help speed up construction procedures.
Finally, there will be a study on what additional social facilities are needed if the region continues to grow. This would include facilities in the fields of culture and sports. Results are expected during the first half of next year. It should then become clear which facilities are most needed and how they should be paid for.
