‘A2 motorway could have a top speed of 170 kph without problems’

The A2 motorway, at the centre of a campaign to have the speed limit increased from 100 kph to 130 kph, could take cars going much faster without breaking noise nuisance norms, according to research for Trouw.

Civil engineering group HaskoningDHV says the speed on the motorway from Amsterdam to Utrecht could be put up to 170 kph without causing problems because far fewer cars are using it than expected.
The motorway, which is five lanes wide in each direction in places, currently has a speed limit of 100 kph and the police are carrying out average speed checks on all drivers to make sure they keep to the law.
Fewer cars
According to HaskoningDHV, the road was developed to carry 230,000 cars a day by 2020. But only 136,000 vehicles are using it at the moment, meaning maximum noise levels are not being reached.
Transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen said last week she would introduce legislation to parliament approving a 130 kph speed limit, much to the fury of local councils. They say she is breaking commitments made when the motorway was widened and that the move is a cynical election ploy.