Residents want traffic measures on access roads Dwingelderveld

“Not being able to pass each other, verges that are broken, cyclists who fall. We have regularly run outside with the first aid kit,” says Bert Wijers. He has been living on the Oude Benderseweg for 23 years, one of the access roads to the Dwingelderveld. “In recent years, the crowds have increased enormously. Tourism is increasing. To the parks, to the visitor center, to the sheepfold.”

With the renovation of the EuroParcs Ruinen recreation parks (which used to be Landclub Ruinen) and De Wiltzangh, there is even more traffic on the narrow roads at Dwingelderveld. In addition to tourists and young swimming pool-goers on bicycles, cars with caravans, tractors and large transport vehicles drive in front of the new chalet parks.

Wijers is not the only resident in the area who is concerned about the unsafe traffic situations. The Benderseberg Foundation is in consultation with the parks and municipalities of De Wolden and Westerveld on behalf of some fifty households on Benderse, Oude Benderseweg, England and Witteveen. “The foundation is committed to all kinds of things, such as the cultural-historical values ​​of the area, but also for road safety,” says chairman Jirtsin Beenhakker. “You can see that the crowds in the area are increasing. It was very busy, especially in corona time. People couldn’t go abroad, so they came to the Dwingelderveld.”

The foundation sees that local entrepreneurs benefit and is happy with that. She wants a better connection between the village of Ruinen and the Dwingelderveld. “If walks can start in the village, it will also benefit the entrepreneurs,” says Beenhakker. At the same time, the number of cars right next to the National Park will decrease. As far as Beenhakker is concerned, the pressure must be distributed in any case, and it must be carefully considered what is needed per visitor. “You have people who only visit the sheepfold with a child and come and have a look at the sheep. That is something different than the nature visitor who really goes into the field for a day.”

This will also be looked into, says Gerard Velthuis of the municipality of De Wolden. “We are going to look at facilities and what comes next. At Europarcs you can determine that based on the number of houses. But you also have to look at the mill, for example, how many transport movements it causes,” says Velthuis. The Dwingelderveld is located entirely in the municipality of Westerveld, Ruinen and surroundings are located in De Wolden.

A traffic consultancy has been commissioned by the municipalities and the province of Drenthe to investigate various types of measures. Other routes, setting up one-way traffic and parking spaces further away are on the table. But also paid parking at the visitor center of Natuurmonumenten is being looked at. Velthuis wonders aloud whether this is the ideal solution for the problem. “Then people will park along the road just outside the area. But it is on the table, we want considerations to be well substantiated.” Velthuis expects the investigation to be completed after the summer.

The residents are happy that the two municipalities are looking at the problems in the area together with the province. They do hope that action will be taken in the short term, for example by installing temporary speed bumps. As far as resident Wijers is concerned, the speed must be reduced as quickly as possible. “You can now 60 kilometers per hour here, that is really too fast. That must be reduced to 30.”

Because ultimately an unsafe and busy neighborhood comes at the expense of his living pleasure. “We are bothered by noise and odor nuisance,” he says. “23 years ago it was really quiet. Times change, that’s logical, we don’t have to go back to 23 years ago. At that time people drove via signs, now they drive on GPS and they all come here. And when the parks are completely When they open, it will be even busier, which will be at the expense of safety.”