Rijkswaterstaat has awarded the major maintenance of the A2 and A6 in Central Netherlands to the construction combination Heijmans–BAM. This concerns the A2 between junction Everdingen and junction Oudenrijn towards Utrecht and between junction Everdingen and junction Deil towards ’s-Hertogenbosch. Major maintenance will be carried out on the A6 between Lelystad and Lelystad-North and between the Ketel Bridge and Lemmer in both directions.
This maintenance is part of the broader renewal task of Rijkswaterstaat. Many roads, bridges, and viaducts in the Netherlands were built decades ago and are being used more intensively. By maintaining and strengthening them now, we ensure that everyone can continue to travel safely, smoothly, and reliably – even in the future.
What will happen?
With the major maintenance, the asphalt will be replaced and underlying damages will be repaired. We will also carry out repair work on several bridges and viaducts, and where necessary, apply quieter asphalt to reduce noise pollution from the highways. We will raise the verges and ensure the replacement or repair of the guardrails at various locations.
Six outdated culverts will be replaced with new ones to better adapt the water management to changing conditions. Preparatory work will start at the end of 2025. The execution will take place from the spring of 2026 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
A tender, two parcels
The tender for the major maintenance in Central Netherlands for the A2 and the A6 has been tendered in two parcels. Although the nature of the work for both parcels is similar, both roads have their own characteristics and challenges.
As one of the main traffic arteries for traffic to and from Utrecht, closing the A2 has a significant impact on road users and the surrounding area. In addition, we will double the connecting curve from the A12 to the A2 southward at junction Ouderrijn for better traffic flow. To keep the inconvenience caused by the road works as acceptable as possible, the hindrance approach was an important topic in the tender for this parcel.
The A6, an important traffic artery to and from the north of the country, will be thoroughly addressed. A robust execution with a phasing that is predictable, explainable, and understandable has therefore been an important topic in the tender when determining the best price-quality ratio. This requires optimal integration between the environment, traffic, and maintenance.
Moreover, the bidders were challenged to propose sustainable asphalt mixtures for the work. The construction combination Heijmans-BAM has emerged as the winner for both parcels. The total assignment has a value of approximately 77 million euros for the construction combination.
Koen Kievits, tender manager of the construction combination Heijmans-BAM: ‘In our collaboration, Heijmans and BAM Infra Nederland have joined forces. By cleverly combining our knowledge and expertise, we have come up with thoughtful plans that can be realized with reduced inconvenience. Thus, we are able to replace a total of 270,000 tons of asphalt, with the safety of our people and all road users as a priority.’
Arend Nagel, project manager RWS: ‘The major maintenance of both the A2 and the A6 is a substantial task. We confidently enter into collaboration with the construction combination Heijmans-BAM to carry out this maintenance while keeping the inconvenience for the environment and road users and the quality of the maintenance in optimal balance.’
Pioneering approach to sustainable road surfaces
As the largest road manager in the Netherlands, we take our responsibility in achieving climate goals. Both the work on the A2 and the A6 are part of the Pioneering approach to sustainable road surfaces and are aimed at climate-neutral and circular work. With this approach, we encourage our chain partners to raise the sustainability bar for asphalt higher and higher.
The Pioneering approach makes investments in sustainable road surfaces rewarding for companies. Therefore, we ensure that by 2030, every year, in multiple projects, the most sustainable alternatives get the opportunity. This way, sustainable pioneers can recoup their innovation and together with us contribute to the transition to a sustainable infrastructure sector.
