The province of Noord-Holland has prepared a preferred plan to improve safety on the N203 between Uitgeest and Castricum, a four-kilometre road that has been described as one of the province’s most dangerous. The plan would retain one lane in each direction, add a central strip for emergency services and widen the cycle path to four metres, while keeping the speed limit at 80 kilometres per hour. The reported cost is €35 million, and the province expects to decide officially next year, with the redesigned road potentially in use by 2034.

Arnold Res, a livestock and bulb farmer who lives and works beside the road, said he preferred a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour and route control rather than widening the road. He said he would only cooperate if he received good agricultural land in exchange for land needed for the project, rather than financial compensation. The province is due to hold an information evening in Uitgeest later this month.