A lot of bouncing and saddle pain, these are the experiences of cyclists who cycle from the shopping center in Stadskanaal towards Wildervank. The municipality wants to solve it. Costs: 2 million euros.
,,It bumps and it boinks”, Aad van Zuijlekom summarizes his cycling experience on the Poststraat in Stadskanaal. He regularly comes across the bouncing cycle path along the Stadskanaal. That path runs in a straight line from the center of Stadskanaal all the way to Wildervank, about 8 kilometers away.
Especially between the center of Stadskanaal and the Refaja hospital, the cycle path can be called downright bad. “It would be a good thing if they tackled it,” says Zuijlekom.
The fact that the path is so bad is due to the 189 lime trees that are right next to it. They were planted about fifteen years ago, but barely have ‘living space’. There are houseplants that are in a larger pot of soil. The trees should have been replaced by smaller ones years ago. At that time, the municipality had no money for that. The result is that tree roots push up the cycle path.
Roots crush the bike path
“Last year, the municipality scraped off part of the cycle path so that it was flatter again,” says a local resident. “But now it’s bumpy again.”
Moreover, it is only a narrow path on which people cycle in two directions, says Richard Bolt. “It’s all tight. Especially if you are overtaken by a scooter.” And if Bolt can talk about it for a moment: ,,They also have to ensure good drainage. The bike path is sometimes flooded.” He has not seen any accidents: “But I am sure they happen here.”
Stadskanaal now wants to tackle the problem in a big way. Between the center and the Refaja, about all 189 lime trees will be removed. Replanting will probably not work because of the poor health of the trees. Instead, new tree sections will be created in which trees with a longer lifespan can grow well. It is not yet known what type of tree, the municipality prefers to see variation.
The cycle path will also be 50 centimeters wider. Partly at the expense of the sidewalk, and partly of the strip on which espaliered lime trees are still standing. Some parking spaces expire. The clinkers that separate the separation between the through road and the cycle path will be removed. This is easier and cheaper to maintain and water flows into the ground more quickly. It also means that the appearance of the street changes considerably.
First the part of the bike path between Wildervank and Stadskanaal
Stadskanaal wants to start next year with the cycle path between the center and the Refaja. For this, a start must already have been made with the other part of the route, phase 1. This runs from the Refaja to the municipal boundary of Veendam. There are other trees, with more soil.
Yet even there roots push the path upwards. Here 66 trees have to be moved, 28 can remain standing. Trees that have to be removed are replaced by new and different types of trees, so that there is something to see all year round.
There is another problem on this part of the cycle path. Lampposts are placed on raised small pieces of sidewalk between the tree sections. There is sometimes only 50 centimeters or a meter between the lamppost and the tree sections. This is empty space where, for example, no car can be parked. It is labour-intensive to keep this weed-free. Therefore, where possible, the tree section and the lamppost are placed together in the green section, the stones then disappear.
Not the entire cycle path will be replaced between Wildervank and the Refaja. This is because the municipality will have to install a new sewerage system in ten years’ time. At the moment, the sewage system is still in the backyard of residents, but it would be more convenient to install it under the cycle path in the future.
In places where the road is broken up, a cheap underlay will return. The rest of the path gets a new surface treatment. That is cheaper and should be able to last until a new sewerage system is installed.
The municipality will continue to consult with local residents and entrepreneurs to listen to their wishes