A2 works between Culemborg and Geldermalsen run to 16 October: dodging the peak saves the 60 minutes, and on 26 September the train stops too

On the A2 towards 's-Hertogenbosch, between the Everdingen and Deil junctions and between Culemborg and Geldermalsen, Rijkswaterstaat is replacing seven kilometres of surface with quieter asphalt from 7 September until 16 October. Its notice is precise: three of the four lanes stay open in both directions, the limit drops to 90 km/h, extra travel time in the rush hour can run to 60 minutes, and the night closures add about 15 minutes. From 20 to 27 September the Beesd on-ramp and the Geldermalsen off-ramp close as well. The official advice is to work from home, travel outside the peaks, or take the train or the bike. The catch is that next Saturday, 26 September, that fallback breaks too: NS states there are no trains at all between Geldermalsen and 's-Hertogenbosch until roughly 17:30. This matters most to Randstad-Brabant commuters. Next step: choose the day, then the mode. (source 1, source 2)

• This is not a pothole repair. The notice describes seven kilometres of new quieter asphalt plus maintenance on crash barriers, signs, bridges, viaducts, lighting and the service area, which is why the job lasts six weeks rather than one weekend. Quieter asphalt is a long-term gain for people living along the road; the cost of those six weeks lands on the people driving it every day. (source 1)
• When and where: 7 September to 16 October, junction Everdingen to junction Deil, the Culemborg to Geldermalsen section; three lanes each way at 90 km/h; up to 60 minutes extra in the peaks and about 15 minutes on the night-closure nights. On the ramps, 13 to 21 September closed the Culemborg on-ramp and the Beesd off-ramp; 20 to 27 September closes the Beesd on-ramp and the Geldermalsen off-ramp instead. (source 1)
• Who should read it: anyone living along Utrecht, Nieuwegein, Culemborg, Geldermalsen or Zaltbommel whose work or school sits towards Den Bosch, Tilburg or Eindhoven, and weekend drivers heading to Brabant or on south into Germany. Cyclists and anyone already on the road before eight in the morning are barely affected, because the 60 minutes only happens in the peak. (source 1)
• Before you go: on Saturday 26 September NS states that no trains run between Geldermalsen and 's-Hertogenbosch until about 17:30, with express replacement buses from Utrecht Centraal to 's-Hertogenbosch Oost and stopping buses calling at Geldermalsen, Zaltbommel and 's-Hertogenbosch, costing 30 to 60 minutes depending on the destination. The same weekend the A59 towards 's-Hertogenbosch between Hooipolder and Empel is shut from 21:00 on 25 September to 05:00 on 28 September. (source 2, source 3)

Work it out: move your usual departure later and what you save is your own share of those 60 minutes. Rijkswaterstaat writes 60 as the peak ceiling, not an average, so leaving after half past nine and driving at night, which adds about 15 minutes, are two different orders of magnitude. Saturday 26 September inverts the sum: the train side is a firm 30 to 60 minutes extra, while a Saturday has no rush hour, so the 60-minute figure does not apply and you are only queueing for three lanes. Put in your own departure time, destination and whether you are carrying luggage, and the answer is usually: change the hour on weekdays, change the mode on that Saturday. (source 1, source 2)

Hokimi field note: if you only need Utrecht to Den Bosch, do not fixate on the A2. The Beesd and Geldermalsen ramps close in turn, and navigation apps like to throw you onto country roads and back again, which is often slower. If you take the train on 26 September, remember the express buses leave from 's-Hertogenbosch Oost rather than the central station, so there is one more connection before the city centre. Details from two Rijkswaterstaat roadworks notices and the NS press room, checked on 20 September 2026.