A spacious grandstand, a table with coffee and tea and an interesting view. Everything has been thought of at the viewpoint along the N391 at Nieuw-Weerdinge. The public can watch the builders of a new viaduct on Friday and Saturday.
“Yes of course you always get well -intended advice,” confirms Roelof Rozenveld. He is project manager Traffic and Transport at the province of Drenthe. “But people are mainly interested in what we do. And if we explain it well, they always like it.”
In the N391 there was always a roundabout here at the intersection with the Pottendijk. In the future, traffic will go over the side road with a viaduct, but that viaduct must first be built. “In earlier phases we have deposited two abutments of concrete. And today the beams are placed over which the road will run,” said Rozenveld. “It is an immense job.”
Spectators are mainly local residents who are curious about the work. An older man thinks it takes a long time. “I haven’t seen anything yet. Maybe there is something against it or something, I don’t know. But I want to see how they put that beam on it.”
Another local resident came to watch with his son. “The little man wanted to have a look, because he always likes cranes to see. So we thought ‘for a moment’.”
The N391 is still closed until Sunday evening. The work lasts longer, only by the summer does the province expect it to be completed. On Saturday, the public can also look at the construction, then the remaining beams will be placed. On Friday, the first four beams were in place at the beginning of the afternoon.