According to the Bank’s website, the ViA15 Project will increase the capacity and improve road safety of the Dutch motorway network in the vicinity of Arnhem. The project consists of:
1. Construction of a new 12km section extending the A15 from Ressen to the A12
2. Widening of the existing A15 between Valburg and Ressen
3. Widening of ~11km on the A12 between Duiven and Oud-Dijk
The new 12km extension of the A15 will include a sunken section and bridges over existing infrastructure. On both motorways a number of junctions will be redesigned and reconstructed.

The ViA15 project in the Netherlands is a missing link on the core TEN-T network. The project will increase the capacity and improve road safety of the Dutch motorway network in the Netherlands-Germany border area in the vicinity of the municipality of Arnhem. The project will also facilitate international traffic flows from the Rotterdam Port towards Germany / rest of Europe. The project consists of: 1. Construction of a new 12km section extending the A15 from Ressen to the A12 2. Widening of the existing A15 between Valburg and Ressen 3. Widening of ~11km on the A12 between Duiven and Oud-Dijk The new 12km extension of the A15 will include a sunken section and bridges over existing infrastructure. On both motorways a number of junctions will be redesigned and reconstructed. The promoter is the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment represented by Rijkswaterstaat.

The initial Tracébesluit of 2017 was subsequently amended by the “Tracébesluit A12/A15 Ressen–Oudbroeken (2019)” issued on 18 February 2019 to address stakeholder concerns. A further amended Tracébesluit was issued on 7 September 2021, which incorporated an extended assessment of nitrogen deposition (using a 25km impact radius instead of 5km) and included additional mitigation and compensatory measures. After a protracted legal procedure, the Tracébesluit (as modified) was declared irrevocable on 2 October 2024 by the Council of State (Raad van State), meaning all appeals have been resolved and the project now has final approval to proceed.The road corridor passes through two Natura 2000 site and runs in the vicinity of others. In 2017, an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directive was performed as part of the EIA to evaluate impacts of the project on all of these sites. In total 10 sites were evaluated. The main impacted sites are:

• Veluwe Forest (Natura 2000 site NL9801023): The A15 extension crosses a corner of this site and the A12 runs close to it. The assessment concluded that the project would have no significant negative impact on the Veluwe, as the redistribution of traffic due to the project is expected to slightly reduce overall nitrogen emissions in that area, potentially resulting in a neutral or slightly positive effect. Rhine Tributaries (Natura 2000 site NL2014067): The new A15 segment will cross the Pannerdensch Kanaal over a bridge, intersecting the Rhine river branches. The assessment identified some disturbance and habitat loss for species like the Eurasian beaver and great crested newt, as well as potential impacts on habitat for various bird species in these riverine areas. However, these effects were assessed as not significant – they do not threaten the integrity or conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 sites.

• Rhine River Branches (Natura 2000 site NL2014038): During construction, temporary disturbances (noise, light, vibration) will occur. Species such as bats (e.g. the pond bat), beaver, and certain non-breeding waterfowl (e.g. wigeon) may experience temporary disruption. Mitigation measures (e.g. timing restrictions, lighting shields) will minimize these impacts, and the residual effects are considered not significant in the EIA. Once operational, the project’s redistributed traffic pattern is expected to improve air quality slightly in some localities (due to congestion relief), helping avoid long-term significant nitrogen deposition in these sensitive habitats.

• Adjacent German Natura 2000 sites (near Autobahn A3, sites DE4104301 and DE4203401): The project will increase traffic flowing into Germany via the A12, potentially raising traffic-induced nitrogen deposition and noise in nearby German protected areas. The environmental assessment determined that these cross-border effects will be minor; the projected increase in nitrogen deposition and noise levels in the German sites is not significant and will remain within acceptable thresholds.

The extension of the A15 will introduce a new highway through an existing landscape, unavoidably altering its visual character. There will be negative visual impacts on the open agricultural and riverine landscape, as a highway and associated infrastructure (bridges, interchanges, noise barriers) are large man-made features. Archaeological surveys have been carried out along the route, and any significant finds will be excavated or protected before construction. Overall, while some adverse landscape and cultural heritage impacts are inevitable, mitigation measures have been put in place to reduce them to an acceptable level.

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