A huge puzzle. This is how the redesign of the Nieuweweg in Roden can safely be called. Tonight, local residents were informed about the plans for the road, which must first be made safer.
Freight traffic on the way to the Jumbo or Lidl, cyclists who come to pick up medicine at the health center and cars that want to drive at high speed to Peize or Nieuw-Roden. It all comes together on the Nieuweweg and that often causes some problems.
“I’m always happy when I pass Westerstraat again as a cyclist,” says a resident. “I often drive on the sidewalk because I just don’t have room when a truck wants to go around the bend,” says another.
These are signals that do not sound strange to councilor Robert Meijer (VVD). What is called: Meijer has lived on the Nieuweweg all his life and knows the problems. “Of course I have my own views, but I also know those of neighbors and fellow neighbors. The general interest comes above all and my own interests will not play a role in this,” the director assures.
Traffic consultancy firm BonoTraffics will come up with a series of proposals for the Nieuweweg this evening. The road – which is one kilometer long – is divided into three sections. The western part is mainly aimed at traffic to and from Nieuw-Roden and other villages. Motorists may continue to drive 50 times there now and in the future.
This will soon no longer be allowed in the middle section, as it seems now. The municipality wants to introduce a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour, with cyclists and cars on the road together.
This means that the cycle path will be partly abolished, although Alderman Meijer does not want to speak of ‘traffic calming objects’. “That’s a very difficult thing to say. If you change a road from 50 to 30 kilometers per hour, then cars and cyclists are equal.”
This must be possible safely, Meijer believes. However, he says he will take the comments that residents made tonight to heart. “We are certainly not done with the puzzle. And even if we have a final design, we still have to go to the council. But these are good examples of citizen participation. We are really doing it together.”
To further reduce the speed on the middle section of the Nieuweweg, the road will be narrowed there. From 9 meters to about 6.20 meters. According to the experts at BonoTraffics, cars should still be able to pass each other and there should still be room for freight traffic.
With the comments from local residents, entrepreneurs and other interested parties in mind, the municipality and BonoTraffics are now moving forward with the final design. That design should be ready sometime in April or May of this year, according to the company’s own planning.
The shovel will not be in the ground until 2025. It is not yet clear when the entire Roner traffic artery will be ‘future-proof’ again.