Maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour, priority for cyclists everywhere and a few new roundabouts. These are some of the plans that the municipality of Midden-Drenthe has for the Esweg, one of the main roads in Beilen.
Traffic councilor Jan Schipper (CDA) called the approach to the Esweg in Beilen in 2022 ‘a long-term matter’, which had been discussed in politics for more than ten years at the time. It is hoped that impatient residents of Beile will still have some air left, because the new road is still a long way off. For the time being, it will continue to be a bit of a bumpy ride over the cobblestones and the adjacent cycle path. But the plans for innovation are now becoming more concrete.
The stretch of road that is being tackled runs from the Burgemeester Wytema Roundabout on the north side, where the street is still officially called Asserweg, and the roundabout at Gulf gas station on the south side, where the street becomes Linthorst Homanweg. The route is also called the North-South Route at the town hall.
Priority for cyclists
The mayor and aldermen want to change the road into a 30-kilometer zone, making it considerably narrower for motorists and making the cycle paths wider. Furthermore, cyclists will have priority everywhere, including on roundabouts, the Municipal Executive writes in a letter to the municipal council.
It also calls the Esweg “an important link in the Assen-Beilen-Hoogeveen cycle route”. Even if it is not there yet; it is one of the reasons for B&W to give cyclists a greater role. The cycle paths are now 1.80 meters wide and will be 2.40 meters in the new situation.
Narrower road
The lane for cars will be reduced from 7.15 meters to 5.80 meters. According to the council, if the municipality wants to maintain the current situation at 50 kilometers per hour, this would mean that the road for cars would have to be wider and “this would be at the expense of the space for the trees,” the letter states.
The many old trees along the Esweg separate the road from the cycle and pedestrian paths. The municipality wants to keep it that way. In fact, in the sketch designs, the green strips on both sides of the road will be 40 centimeters wider. A considerably narrower road of 5.80 meters is fine in a 30-kilometer zone, say B&W.
Roundabout around Dikke Boom
The letter also mentions a number of specific places that will change. What is striking is the proposal to build a large roundabout around ‘the Dikke Boom’, a centuries-old oak tree near the exit to the Eursingerweg towards the sports hall. According to many Beilen residents, this is a dangerous point, because people often drive too fast. At Torenlaan, on the edge of the village center, B&W also want to have a new roundabout constructed. This will be located close to the existing roundabout at the Gulf gas station. Such a double roundabout is called a dog bone roundabout.
The plans have not yet been finalized. On Tuesday evening between 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM, everyone can see the sketches at the town hall in Beilen and talk to Alderman Schipper and other municipal employees. The city council must also approve. Last year, he already ordered 6.4 million euros available for the major renovation. It is not yet known when the shovel will go into the ground.