Wijkertunnel reopens after four‑week ventilation upgrade

After four weeks of closure, the Wijkertunnel in Velsen reopened for traffic in both directions at 05:00 on Saturday 8 August. Rijkswaterstaat replaced the tunnel’s aging ventilation system with a new installation of 17 fans mounted under external canopies and carried out additional maintenance work. The new system was thoroughly tested to meet strict safety requirements, ensuring effective smoke removal in case of fire or other incidents.

The tunnel had to be fully closed because the previous ventilation equipment had reached the end of its technical life. The shutdown and the resulting detours to the nearby Velsertunnel caused major traffic disruptions for residents and commuters in the Velsen‑Beverwijk area. Rijkswaterstaat reported that the project stayed on schedule and that no unexpected technical problems occurred, and it noted lessons learned from managing the extensive closure.