In the Netherlands we usually have our affairs in order in terms of traffic management. The road conditions are closely monitored, traffic jams are registered almost immediately, if you come to a standstill, someone will tow you away and lanes are closed if necessary. But ironically, this orderliness is precisely why things went wrong this morning.
This morning during rush hour, the Ketheltunnel (indeed, not shown above in the photo) on the A4 was closed. There was nothing wrong with the tunnel, but the tunnel operator was ill. Normally not a problem, but let it be that his replacement was also ill. If there is no one to supervise the tunnel, Rijkswaterstaat will shut it down. The tunnel reopened around 9:00 am.
“If there is no one in the traffic control center to supervise and also close it quickly in the event of an accident, it means that we have to close the tunnel,” Rijkswaterstaat told the newspaper. NOS† An accident in a tunnel, especially if there is a fire, can cause a lot of misery. If no one is standing by to direct traffic or close the tunnel, it can be difficult for emergency services to get to the scene.
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