The temporary traffic measures that the Rijkswaterstaat, together with other road managers, took in recent days due to the transportation of delegations for the NATO summit in The Hague, have largely been lifted. Almost all (motor)ways, on- and off-ramps, viaducts, and tunnels that were completely or partially closed to ensure safe and smooth transportation have been reopened to traffic. The N44 is still closed. Locally, there are still some roads closed due to the NATO summit.
The roads opened earlier than planned. Since all delegations departed yesterday, we were able to start dismantling the measures earlier. Initially, it was expected that this would only be completed by Friday morning.
The traffic measures were taken on the A5, A4, A44, N44, and regional and local roads in and around Wassenaar, Katwijk, Noordwijk, Haarlemmermeer, and Leiden.
Largest Traffic Operation Ever
All measures combined made this the largest traffic operation that the Netherlands has ever conducted. For this mega-operation, Rijkswaterstaat, on behalf of 34 road managers, developed an integral traffic plan. In collaboration with municipalities and provinces, everything was done to manage traffic during the NATO summit effectively. Hundreds of people were actively involved in the execution of the plan in the lead-up to and during the summit.
To make the entire operation a success, Rijkswaterstaat placed a 6 km long steel barrier on the A4 and deployed 232 DRIPs, 8500 cones, 4450 traffic signs, 18 recovery vehicles, and 135 text and action vehicles. Additionally, 20 extra road inspectors were on duty daily to quickly intervene in case of incidents.
Traffic Congestion Was Manageable
Although some traffic jams occurred on the south side of Amsterdam due to the escorted transportation of foreign delegations, serious traffic disruption was avoided. Nationwide, the morning and evening rush hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were notably calm; at the peak time, there were only half the usual kilometers of traffic jams.
This is partly thanks to the cooperation of road users, who heeded the call to adjust their travel behavior in the lead-up to and during the NATO summit. Many chose to avoid the Randstad, work from home, or take alternative routes. We would like to sincerely thank all road users for this.
Collaboration and Preparation
The temporary traffic measures were prepared and executed in close cooperation with the police, the military police, defense, municipalities, provinces, and other involved parties. This collaboration contributed to the safe transportation of dozens of world leaders and ministers and thousands of delegation members during the summit.
More information about the traffic measures for the NATO summit can be found on the page NATO Summit 2025: what are the consequences for road traffic?. More information about the closures and other measures on regional and local roads can be found on the website of the respective municipality or province.