The total length and duration of traffic jams in the Netherlands increased this year, despite the opening of several new roads in Zuid Holland, figures from the ANWB show.

The ANWB said traffic congestion – the length of jams multiplied by their duration – rose by 3% compared with last year.

The increase was mainly driven by delays at border crossings, where the outgoing government has introduced more spot checks. The number of reported jams rose 15%.

At the same time, several large infrastructure projects around Rotterdam have reduced the number of stoppages in the region.

ANWB spokeswoman Heleen de Geest said the effect is clearly noticeable during the morning rush hour. “The A15 towards Europoort used to be the first place where traffic would grind to a halt. You don’t see that anymore in the morning,” she told regional broadcaster Rijnmond.

Roadworks also played a major role, with the ANWB pointing in particular to ongoing work on the southern part of the A10 ring road round Amsterdam.

The A27 between Utrecht and Gorinchem again topped the list of the country’s worst bottlenecks.