The new toll tunnel is the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands and means no more queuing for the ferry; from now on one can reach the other side of the Westerschelde river within 5 minutes.
The central location of the tunnel ensures a fast connection to the road network in Zeeland, Flanders and the west of Brabant. For travellers from England taking the Westerscheldetunnel also gets you faster to Amsterdam en other towns is the Randstad via Gent, Terneuzen and Goes.

De N.V. Westerscheldetunnel heeft maandag middag 2 juni rond 15.10 uur de miljoenste gebruiker van de tunnel verwelkomd. Volgens een woordvoerder is de mijlpaal weken eerder bereikt dan was berekend.

Sinds de opening van de tunnel op 15 maart passeren dagelijks meer weggebruikers de tolpoorten dan de 12.000 waarvan was uitgegaan.

It is expected that the tunnel route will become an axis of economic development connecting towns and cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Vlissingen, Terneuzen, Gent and Rijssel (Lille) more directly with each other. The Westerscheldetunnel will also offer new opportunities for business, creating new markets, giving people more flexibility, as it shortens distances and generates more turnover in this area of Zeeland.

klik in de schets voor een wegenkaart van en naar de tunnel

At 6.6 km (just over 4 miles) in length, the Westerscheldetunnel connecting Terneuzen in Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen with Goes on Zuid-Beveland is the longest road tunnel in The Netherlands. The tunnel replaces the 2 current ferry connections, Vlissingen-Breskens and Kruiningen-Perkpolder.
It is a Category I toll tunnel, which means that it is intended for all passenger and freight traffic (with the exception of the bulk transport of LPG, radioactive materials and explosives).

The tunnel's maximum usable height is 4.5 metres. A detection system has been installed before the tunnel entrance that prevents vehicles that are too tall from entering and diverts them via separate service roads.
The maximum permitted speed in the tunnel is 100 kph (about 62 mph). Slow traffic, like cyclists, mopeds, tractors etc. is not allowed in the tunnel. The tunnel has a gradient of 4.5%. To help to keep the traffic flowing smoothly, lorries must keep to the right-hand lane.

Safety was given the highest priority in the construction of the tunnel, making the Westerscheldetunnel one of the safest in Europe. The tunnel as a whole consists of two separate tunnel tubes, each with two lanes. This means there is no oncoming traffic, which rules out the risk of head-on collisions.

Comprehensive security measures also contribute to this safety. There is continuous monitoring by a tunnel operator, assisted by modern equipment such as cameras, detection apparatus, traffic signals and emergency assistance posts. Transverse connections every 250 m guarantee a safe evacuation route in case of an emergency. The tunnel operator is the road user's first point-of-contact. Depending on the situation, he can call in the tunnel maintenance service, breakdown services or the emergency services.

A great deal of care goes into fire prevention. Apart from the 250m safety evacuation routes there are brightly-lit emergency assistance posts every 50 m, equipped with a dry powder fire extinguisher, a fire hose and an intercom for direct contact with the tunnel operator.

The fire brigades of Terneuzen and Borsele have been provided with specially adapted 'rapid-intervention vehicles' including special cameras to trace victims.
Recently the both fire brigades travelled to the tunnel fires training centre in Sargans in Switzerland. Practical experience was gained in techniques to tackle various situations in tunnel tube fires.

The authorities have set up a toll structure which is clear, simple and, above all, competitive. The basic toll fee for cars is € 4,00. The toll fee for lorries has been set at € 15,00. Regular users can get a hefty 25% discount off the basic toll fee with a t-tag subscription!

The toll fee structure encompasses 4 categories, based on the length and height of the vehicles. The 2.50-metre height serves to distinguish between cars and lorries. The length determines whether the vehicle has a trailer.

Category 1: vehicles with a length

Category 2: vehicles with a length > 6 metres and a height

Category 3: vehicles with a length

The toll fee structure is per passage in euros, incl. 19% VAT:

Category 1: basic toll fee = € 4,00; regular user: € 3,00
Category 2: basic toll fee = € 6,00; regular user: € 4,50
Category 3: basic toll fee = € 15,00; regular user: € 11,25
Category 4: basic toll fee = € 20,00; regular user: € 15,00

For those interested in the construction of the tunnel a special web page has been published, which gives photographs and other details of the tunnel. Click here to look.