The work on the lighting in the Leidsche Rijn Tunnel is complete. After 14 working weekends, the contractor replaced 2256 old fixtures with 1253 sustainable LED lamps.
This results in an energy saving of nearly half. Moreover, the new lamps provide better visibility, making the tunnel safer. The work proceeded smoothly, and the tunnel was open earlier on several weekends. The last weekend was also the case.
‘On Sunday, February 16, at 20:00, the contractor was able to reopen the tunnel. The delay for road users was also manageable, usually about 15 minutes, except for an accident that caused a longer delay. The weekend of February 21 - 24, 2025, is no longer needed for work. We want to thank road users for their patience and for following the detour routes,’ said environment manager Ed Nijman.
Road users indicate that the lighting has improved and that the new lighting is pleasant when entering and exiting the tunnel. Initially, Rijkswaterstaat received some feedback from road users about the brightness of the lighting. The lighting has therefore been slightly adjusted.
Why was the lighting replaced?
The lighting in the Leidsche Rijn Tunnel was 14 years old and had reached the end of its lifespan. Lighting is essential for safety in the tunnel, so we replaced these lamps in a timely manner. The new lamps emit white light, which provides better visibility than the old yellow lighting. The white light also offers a calmer road image.
The contractor not only replaced the lighting source, but the entire installation and software were also adjusted. LED lamps last longer, so we need to replace the lamps less frequently.
New series of weekend closures at Leidsche Rijn Tunnel
The work in the tunnel is temporarily complete, but we will soon replace the asphalt before and after the tunnel with quieter asphalt. From Knooppunt Oudenrijn to Maarssen, the asphalt on the main lanes in both directions on the A2 will be replaced over 4 weekends.
- 2 weekend closures towards Amsterdam; March 21 - 24 and March 28 - 31, 2025
- 2 weekend closures towards Utrecht; May 16 - 19 and May 23 - 26, 2025
Through traffic remains possible via the parallel lane. More information will soon be available on the Leidsche Rijn Tunnel page.
Sustainability and living environment
Rijkswaterstaat works on building the Netherlands every day. We work towards a clean, green, and pleasant living environment, also for future generations. Installing LED lighting fits with RWS’s ambition to be energy neutral by 2030. More information is available on the Energy and Climate page.
More information A2 Leidsche Rijn Tunnel
If you have questions or comments about this work, please contact us.