It will not escape the notice of any resident of Zwanenburg or Halfweg: over the next year and a half, the shovel will be broken in no less than fifteen places in the villages to tackle overdue maintenance. Residents are happy that something is finally happening, but also express concern about the expected traffic disruption.
During the walk-in meeting, there will be large information boards in the village hall about all fifteen projects that will be carried out in the coming years. An employee of the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer explains each sign. “It will be a lot of nuisance, misery and detours,” says Peter de Waard, assistant area manager. “We’d better tell the residents straight away.”
The article continues below the image of the information board about the fifteen projects.
The inhabitants seem to have a great need for explanation, because the village hall is filled in no time. “The purpose of this walk-in evening is not only to inform the residents at an early stage. We also want to know what they think,” says Peter de Waard. “No one knows the village better than the residents themselves, so if they have good ideas we write them down.”
“Zwanenburg has been deprived all these years”
For example, Bernardo Mossel (78) gives a tip to the municipality to also tackle the sidewalks. HI have lived in Zwanenburg for 42 years. “Hoofddorp and Nieuw-Vennep are neat, but Zwanenburg has been deprived all these years. I’ve been complaining for four years, but there was never any money“, he says. “Fortunately, the village is now being thoroughly addressed.”
The article continues below the image.
A little further on, Ritchie Trompert (50) and his colleagues look at the preliminary sketch of Oranje Nassaustraat. The sewage system on this street is bad. That is why the municipality has decided to completely redesign the street. The municipality wants to reduce the speed from 50 to 30 km per hour, plant more greenery and create parking spaces. “As a resident, I love it,” he says. “As a firefighter, I worry.”
The article continues below the map of the location of the fire station.
The fire station is located on Oranje Nassaustraat. As team leader, Ritchie therefore has a lot of contact with the municipality to think along with the plan. “There are no other barracks nearby. We must remain accessible during the work and be able to arrive on site on time,” he says. “But we also have to be able to come to the rescue quickly after the work has been completed. If the municipality reduces the speed or the street will no longer be a through road, it will be more difficult for us to be on time.”
“It’s nice to have all the projects here, because they’re all related,” says Ritchie. “If the bridge is out, it will also affect the accessibility of the barracks. Everything causes traffic congestion.”
“If the street opens up, how do we get out of our neighborhood?”
Monique van Haeften (63) also came to the village hall for the project on Oranje Nassaustraat. She lives in the Houtdijkstraat in Halfweg. “If the Oranje Nassaustraat opens up, how do we get out of our neighborhood?”, she asks. “All facilities are in Zwanenburg, so we should be able to get there.”
The council must disappoint her. There is only a temporary sketch of the Oranje Nassaustraat and the further plan has yet to be worked out. It is also not yet clear when the work will start. “There is still little information,” she says. “That’s a shame, but I’m convinced they’re trying to do the best they can.”
The Municipality of Haarlemmermeer will start work on the bridge in Halfweg in early 2024, one of the largest projects. Shipping traffic will be affected from 8 January to 31 March. In the week of January 22 and the week of March 25, there will be disruption to car traffic, in the weeks in between there will be a temporary road bridge. Pedestrians and cyclists will not experience any inconvenience, because a pontoon bridge will be constructed for them, which they can use between the end of January and the end of March.