The cabinet plans for 2020 are known. Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen and State Secretary Van Veldhoven are mainly focusing on the basics: maintenance of roads, railways and waterways. To this end, 2.6 billion euros have been reserved from the Infrastructure Fund. An overview of the plans.
On Tuesday, the minister and state secretary announced the first measures in the field of infrastructure and water management. The main focus will be on maintenance and renovation of roads, railways, bridges, locks, tunnels and viaducts. Much infrastructure has been around for 75 years and needs to be refurbished. With the application of new techniques, infrastructure will become more sustainable, reliable and efficient in maintenance, the minister said. "The Dutch economy is doing well. And we notice that. It is getting busier and busier on the road. This places very high demands on our infrastructure. I want the basics in order so that people can get around safely and quickly," Van Nieuwenhuizen said.
Impulse locks and waterways
In addition to the large reservation for infrastructure maintenance, minister Van Nieuwenhuizen will give a boost to Dutch waterways in 2020 with 100 million euros from the Infrastructure Fund. For example, 10 million euros will be available for improvements to the moorings of the ferry services on the Wadden Sea, 14.5 million euros for tackling several locks on the main Lemmer-Delfzijl waterway and 10 million euros will go to the Maas-Waal canal, where, among other things, the old Weurt lock will be refurbished. The measures should ensure that boaters can pass through the locks faster and that there is less delay on the waterways.
Roads
In 2020, almost 3 billion will be invested in the construction, management and maintenance of roads. Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen is thus taking important steps to cope with the growth in car traffic and the heavier burden of goods transport on the roads.
The ruling by the Council of State on the Programme Approach to Nitrogen will affect, to a greater or lesser extent, a number of road projects in preparation for it. An advisory panel has been asked by the government to come up with a proposal for solutions. This autumn, the minister will inform the House of Representatives about the consequences for new projects.
Work will continue on current road widening projects in 2020. Next year, the widening of the Gaasperdammerweg will be completed. The 36.5-kilometre road will have two times five lanes with a tunnel through urban areas and a city park on top. The final project of the large-scale widening of the motorways between Schiphol, Amsterdam and Almere will start in 2020: the widening of the A9 between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht.
For extra lanes on the A15, between Papendrecht and Sliedrecht, the shovel will go into the ground in 2020. The minister also takes an important step for the road widening of the A2 between Deil and Den Bosch with a preference decision. In the east, the first section of the widening of the A1 between Apeldoorn and Azelo will be opened: about 30 kilometres of motorway between Twello and Rijssen will get an additional lane next year.
Traffic jam approach short term
Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen has allocated 100 million for measures to tackle traffic jams in the short term. In addition to deploying salvage workers and road inspectors near busy motorways, the money will be spent, among other things, on a new generation of traffic lights that will ensure smoother traffic flow on motorway slip roads in the morning and evening rush hour. There will be 34 of these traffic control installations by 2020.
The minister is also taking measures to prevent trucks that are too high from entering tunnels, causing damage and traffic jams. At the Schiphol Tunnel, there will soon be photo boards showing a truck driver a warning message and a photo of his own vehicle if it is too high for the approaching tunnel. This will allow him to take a different route in time. In 2020, the photo signs will also be placed at the Coentunnel, where traffic jams regularly occur due to trucks that are too high for the tunnel.
Rail
State Secretary Van Veldhoven is putting 2.6 billion euros into adjustments on and around the railways. The money will be used to make the railways ready for the future. To cope with the growth in passengers and goods, it is necessary to use the railways more intensively. The government is investing in the new rail safety system ERTMS, which will allow trains to travel safely closer together. Over the next few years, tracks and trains will be equipped with this new, digital system.
Sustainable transport
In the coming years, work will be done to implement agreements from the Climate Agreement. Our transport causes a quarter of CO2 emissions. That is why the government is taking numerous measures to make transport more sustainable. The purchase of an electric car, which emits no greenhouse gases while driving, is stimulated. For individuals and entrepreneurs, new or second-hand. To make charging electric cars as easy as charging your phone, a total of 1.8 million charging points will be built in the coming years, including "smart charging points" that improve the capacity of the power network.
Circular economy
The missing link to meet the Paris climate goals is the circular economy: an economy without waste. The government's ambition is for the Netherlands to reuse 50 per cent of used materials as much as possible by 2030. And waste will be processed into usable raw materials as much as possible. Therefore, in 2020, the cabinet is making a one-off €80 million available to stimulate circular projects that also produce CO2 reduction in, among others, civil engineering and the plastics chain. In addition, in the 2020 budget, the government is making €8 million available for programmes to promote the transition to a circular economy in various sectors.
Aviation
A new approach is coming for Schiphol. Schiphol can grow in small steps after 2020, but this growth cannot be taken for granted. Only after demonstrable reductions in nuisance for local residents will the national airport be given some extra space in return. In the coming months, Minister van Nieuwenhuizen will further elaborate the approach with the surrounding area and the sector. In late 2019, the Lower House will also receive the draft Aviation Memorandum on the development of aviation and airports in the Netherlands until 2050. In 2020, the plans will be finalised. In summer 2020, the cabinet will decide on the draft preferred variant for a new airspace layout.
Air quality
By 2030, health damage from air pollution must be halved compared to 2016.That is why 50 million euros have been set aside to implement the Clean Air Agreement. This autumn, State Secretary Van Veldhoven will present concrete measures for more clean air with municipalities and provinces.
