8-12 October: A2 Weekend Break is already starting on Thursday this time

The A2 Weekend Break ("WeekendBreek") is coming up again. Rijkswaterstaat will be widening the A2 motorway between the junctions Het Vonderen and Kerensheide. This work requires several weekend closures. This time, Rijkswaterstaat will already get started on Thursday. The A2 is an important traffic artery. As a result, traffic on the roads in the region can become very heavy during this A2 Weekend Break, and delays may exceed 60 minutes.

During the coming A2 Weekend Break, the following road sections will be closed:

  • From 9 PM Thursday 8 October: the A2 between Het Vonderen and Roosteren in the direction of Maastricht will be completely closed. Between Roosteren and Het Vonderen in the direction of Eindhoven, one traffic lane will be closed (two of the three lanes remain open).
    • On-ramp 44 Sint Joost and on-ramp 45 Echt will close an hour earlier.
  • From 9 PM Friday 9 October: the A2 will be completely closed in both directions between the junction Het Vonderen and the Urmond exit.
    • The on-ramps will close an hour earlier and reopen an hour later.
  • From 5 AM Monday 12 October: the A2 will again be completely open in both directions.

The previous A2 Weekend Break only started on Friday evening. This time, traffic will be very heavy on the roads around the A2 motorway on Thursday and Friday.

We advise you to take this into account. Whenever possible, take the train or bicycle, work from home, or choose a different time to travel. That really makes a difference. During the previous A2 Weekend Break, 65% of road users decided not to travel by car! As a result, the nuisance last year was not so bad. We can only avoid traffic jams and delays of more than 60 minutes if we all decide to leave the car at home.

During A2 Weekend Break: discounted train fares

From Friday 9 October (first train) to and including Sunday 11 October (last train), you get 50% off train travel with NS and Arriva. That way you travel cheaply and comfortably past the closed motorway.

  • To encourage drivers to take the train, NS is offering 50% off during the A2 WeekendBreek through its existing PrijsTijd Deal:

    • Valid from Friday 9 October (first train) to and including Sunday 11 October (last train).
    • Applies to journeys on NS trains starting or ending at Roermond, Sittard, Maastricht or Heerlen.
    • During this campaign, the discount also applies on Friday during rush hour.
    • Book your ticket from one month before your journey up to one day before departure, via the NS app or the NS website.
    • The app shows straight away how much discount you get on your route.

    Book your discounted train journey via NS

  • Travelling through the A2 closure between the Het Vonderen and Kerensheide junctions? Then you get 50% off on Arriva trains in Limburg:

    • Valid from Friday 9 October (first train) to and including Sunday 11 October (last train).
    • Valid for all journeys on the Beek-Elsloo–Roermond route. You get the discount in the following situations:
      1. You board or leave the train at one of these stations: Beek-Elsloo, Geleen-Lutterade, Sittard, Susteren, Echt or Roermond.
      2. You travel by train all the way through this area, as part of a longer journey.
    • Only valid on Arriva trains.
    • You get the discount through the glimble app with discount code A22026.

    How the glimble app works:

    1. Download the glimble app from the App Store or Google Play.
    2. Plan your journey.
    3. Select 'Tickets kopen' (buy tickets).
    4. Enter discount code A22026 at checkout.
    5. You can use the discount code as many times as you like throughout the campaign period.

Do you work on Thursday and/or Friday and normally take the A2 to your work?

Please take into account that the A2 will already be (partly) closed starting Thursday evening. You can, for example:

  • Take the train or bicycle instead of the car.
  • Work from home or travel outside rush-hour if you still need to drive to work.
  • If you are travelling towards Maastricht, take the detour and significantly increased travel time into account, starting Thursday evening.
  • If you are travelling towards Eindhoven, take increased travel time into account, even though only one traffic lane is closed on Friday.

We hope you'll join in over the weekend too

If you need to travel on Saturday or Sunday, take the train or bicycle, or choose a different route. Prefer to stay home? That helps keep the roads clear too: enjoy a walk, a bike ride, or a cosy weekend with chores or a movie night.
A few tips to plan your weekend smartly:

  • Take the bike or train instead of the car: handy for groceries, sports, or a day out. Take advantage of the 50% discount on the train.
  • Going away for the day? Plan it on a weekday, or turn it into a longer stay by leaving as early as Thursday.
  • Do your shopping before the A2 Weekend Break.
  • Reschedule an outing to a different date.

Do you still need to drive?

Take into account additional travel time, which can increase by up to 60 minutes on local roads and 15 to 45 minutes on the large-scale detour routes. Traffic congestion will not be limited to the Dutch roads, but will also be noticeable on the detour routes in Belgium and Germany.

Plan to take a break from the road during the A2 Weekend Break. This will help prevent traffic jams, keep the road open for emergency services, and help ensure that the roadworks take place more quickly and safely.

Attention: in case of bad weather, the roadworks may be rescheduled to the weekend of 5 to 9 (incl.) November.