People who drive into our beautiful province from Limburg on the A2 can’t believe their luck. Since Thursday, a sign with the text ‘Welcome to Brabant’ has been shining along the highway. Traffic on the A2 near Budel is finally warmly welcomed again after two months of indifference.
The welcome sign was replaced a lot faster than expected. Last week, the province of Noord-Brabant announced that it could take about twelve weeks before it would be placed. “We didn’t have an extra plate, so a new one was ordered. It will take a while before this is delivered,” the spokesperson for the province said at the time.
And when the new sign was in, it would also take a while before it could be placed. The province had to apply for an exemption from Rijkswaterstaat for this. “The A2 is owned by Rijkswaterstaat, so we can’t just put up a sign there.” All in all, it went a lot faster than expected.
Presumably stolen
The sign had been gone since July 11. The province had not removed it itself. “The sign along the A2 has indeed disappeared, most likely stolen. This will be reported,” the spokesperson said.
Omroep Brabant received an email about it from a concerned Brabant. “All nice and nice those hills in Limburg, but home sweet home! Can you help us?” she wrote. Hopefully she is now enjoying the brand new sign along the road.
Plate for the garden
It is also more common for these signs to disappear. “Perhaps by people who like such a plate and want to have it in their garden”, was the suspicion. At the end of May, for example, the welcome sign along the A73 near the municipality of Land van Cuijk disappeared. Fortunately, it was also back quickly. “We were then told by the police that they had found such a plate. We could come pick it up.”
Unfortunately, the province could no longer use the board, because it was damaged. Fortunately, there was still a spare sign, so it was placed along the A73. That is why a new sign had to be ordered for the A2.
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