There is a good chance that you have already been stuck there: the Hooipolder junction. There has been talk of a thorough reorganization of the very busy roads there for decades, but now the time has really come. The first shovel has gone into the ground. “It’s about time.”
“3, 2, 1, scoop it!” With these words, the work on the junction and the A27 was kicked off on Wednesday. Under the watchful eye of Infrastructure Minister Mark Harbers. “Traffic is often completely stuck here. That is why it is so important that we work on the entire stretch from Hooipolder to Houten. For more capacity and to prevent cut-through traffic through places along the highway.”
Because that is what often happens now: at busy times, many people move to the back roads to avoid traffic jams. Something that residents of villages such as Almkerk and Uppel are more than ready with. “It’s annoying,” says one woman. “Especially when the children want to cross. When it is a bit busier, you have to be careful.” And a resident just down the road would also rather see that change today than tomorrow. “It’s a bad situation.”
But the question is whether anything will actually change quickly. Wednesday’s kick-off marks the start of years of work. For example, extra driving and rush-hour lanes will be constructed, three bridges will be renovated and other entrances and exits will be added. The entire project will not be ready until 2031, if everything goes according to plan.
#Better not
To prevent more people from finding their way through the surrounding villages until then, Rijkswaterstaat has now started a campaign called: Better than not. And they have some more good advice there. “Anyone who soon has to pass the Hooipolder junction could be delayed by half to an hour,” says Erna Ceelen. “So don’t go on the road if you don’t have to. It’s nice if you can travel in a different way, so that people without the choice can use the A27.”
And for those who will be stuck in traffic jams for longer in the near future, Minister Harbers has a positive message. “It will get worse before it gets better. So if you are bothered by inconvenience: know why we are doing it. In a few years you will be able to drive through here undisturbed.”