Netherlands controls trucks on the A27. Foreign drivers are also being fined
The Netherlands tightens enforcement of the truck and coach traffic ban on the Merwedebrug bridge on the A27. Police and Rijkswaterstaat are carrying out direct inspections, including checks of vehicles with foreign registration plates, and violating the ban can result in a €500 fine.
Dutch authorities have stepped up enforcement of the ban on trucks and coaches crossing the Merwedebrug on the A27 motorway. From 17 to 21 August, Rijkswaterstaat and the police are carrying out direct inspections on the bridge. A driver who ignores the ban can receive a €500 fine. The checks also cover vehicles with foreign registration plates.
The Merwedebrug between Gorinchem and Sleeuwijk was closed to heavy traffic on 18 July 2026 at 17:30. The decision followed inspections of the bridge’s steel arch structure. The steel was found to be weaker than previously assumed in several places, prompting Rijkswaterstaat to remove trucks and coaches from the crossing.
Initially, drivers violating the rules were recorded by ANPR cameras. The system reads registration plates and makes it possible to determine whether a vehicle subject to the restriction has crossed the bridge. The fine is €500, plus administrative costs charged by CJIB. However, the automated system did not solve the problem of foreign vehicles. By the end of July, 96 fines had been issued, but all of them concerned vehicles with Dutch registration plates. For this particular violation, the EU mechanism for exchanging the data required to automatically send a fine to the owner of a foreign-registered vehicle does not apply.
Since 17 August, Rijkswaterstaat and the police have been carrying out direct inspections. On the first day, 34 fines were issued, and officers also stopped trucks with foreign registration plates. Inspections can be time-consuming - in the case of drivers who require an interpreter, a single intervention can take around half an hour. However, the automated system does not yet cover all foreign vehicles. From 1 September 2026, it is to be extended to trucks with Belgian, German and Swiss registration plates. The Netherlands has agreements with these three countries allowing the exchange of data required for the automatic issuing of fines.
Poland is not on this list. This means that Polish hauliers should not assume that a fine for crossing the Merwedebrug will automatically be sent to the company based on the reading of a Polish registration plate. Direct inspections and the stopping of drivers by Dutch authorities therefore remain crucial.
Rijkswaterstaat has designated two main routes for heavy traffic:
• A15 - A16 - A59,
• A15 - A2 - A59.
For the transport of dangerous goods, the route via the A2 is mandatory. Authorities warn that increased traffic volumes on the diversion routes may cause additional delays.
