An information evening about the construction of a roundabout on the north side of Roden ended in no time this evening. Local residents and entrepreneurs are calling for a bicycle tunnel, but it is not yet included in the plans of the province of Drenthe.
The province and the municipality of Noordenveld came to the conclusion in 2021 that a roundabout should be installed at the Dwazziewegen/Noordholt crossing. The crossing can be dangerous for cyclists who want to go to Roderwolde, Foxwolde and the surrounding area. In addition, traffic on the ring road is increasing, especially now that a brand new municipal construction site has been unveiled a stone’s throw away.
But the presentation of the current plan of the province of Drenthe soon came to an end. After a joint kick-off, the approximately 40 attendees would further study the plan in groups, but the residents did not think that was necessary. Because without a bicycle tunnel, the plan does not meet their wishes anyway.
This was emphasized by Henk van Sloten of Dorpsbelangen Roderwolde en Omstreek after the presentation. “In 1993, when this ring road was being built, I already argued for a tunnel to the Council of State,” he says. “That did not happen at the time, but it remains a long-cherished wish. Unfortunately, we are not involved in the discussions between the municipality and the province.”
Van Sloten said he did not expect the evening to end so quickly. “That was not my intention, but due to the accidents that have occurred in recent years, it is very sensitive.”
Project leader Patrick Bottema was surprised by the request for a bicycle tunnel. “I’ve been on this project for six months now and I’m hearing this for the first time tonight.” These are also new sounds for the councilor Robert Meijer (VVD Noordenveld) present. “This has never been discussed in the council. It is therefore new to me.”
With this new sound, Bottema now first returns to ‘traffic deputy’ Henk Jumelet (CDA). “That’s why this has been a useful evening, because we have heard the sounds from the area and can now move on.”
According to the project leader, this is the first evening that is actually held with the environment, which means that local residents have not previously been involved in the plans. He does not rule out that proposing new alternatives will cause delays. “We actually want to go wild after the summer of 2024, but that remains to be seen.”
In addition, the construction of a bicycle tunnel is an expensive affair. The bicycle tunnel that was opened at Peizermade in 2019 ultimately cost 1.7 million euros, a councilor present knows. “Nowadays we are already talking about 3 million euros,” Bottema calculates from memory. “And if the ground in that place is very wet, you can easily add a million.”
Compare that with the 5 tonnes reserved for a roundabout and it is conceivable that the province is not immediately keen on a bicycle tunnel. Nevertheless, Bottema does return to the provincial government with the message from the local residents. “This evening will certainly be continued in 2024.”