There will be nine fauna tunnels in the N374 at the Mantingerzand. The provincial road runs straight through the Mantingerveld nature reserve, part of the Mantingerzand. The tunnels must ensure less animal traffic victims, a larger habitat and better genetic spread within animal species.
The tunnels for animals cost almost 1.8 million euros but it does not cost the province money, the government pays. The construction is done at the same time as the approach to provincial road, which must be overhauled for major maintenance later this year.
It has been in the Natura 2000 management plan for the nature reserve since 2016: the provincial road N374 (Hoogeveen-Stadskanaal) has a substantial ‘ecological and hydrological barrier effect.’ The Mantingerzand and the Mantingerveld are located along the Hoogeveen – Westerbork road section.
There will be five larger fauna tunnels of about 1.5 by 1 meter for larger mammals, such as badgers and roe. The other four of about half a meter by half a meter are for small animals such as reptiles and amphibians, such as snakes and frogs. One tunnel is a water dive.
The Party for the Animals welcomes the plan and asks deputy Henk Jumelet (CDA) whether there are more fauna tunnels at other provincial roads.
The BBB finds nine tunnels too much and 1.8 million too. Jumelet makes short work of the BBB setup: “Those nine tunnels are needed, which are a matter of ecological research and the Natura 2000 management plan. And we cannot build them. Then we can immediately return the money to The Hague.”
The BBB (17 seats in the Provincial States) is disappointing. But with the support of the rest of the lecture parties and a large part of the opposition, there is a majority.