Residents: ‘Take on the Gieten junction, then it may not be necessary to double N34’

Residents of Gasselte, Borger, Drouwen, Exloo, Ees, Valthe and Bronnegerveen advocate this. Two groups of residents have written letters to the Provincial Executive (GS) after the new call to propose solutions for the N34.

“You can use the evaluation of the approach of the Gieten junction to make a broadly considered decision about the N34. Everything that plays a role can be included in it,” Albert de Jong writes to GS on behalf of the residents of the area. “Flow flow, traffic safety, impact on nature and the environment, living pleasure for local residents and the attractiveness of the Hondsrug, also for tourists.”

The letter writers of the N34 Group Gasselte also prefer to see that the junction is overhauled first. “And then consider whether anything needs to be done on the N34 afterwards.”

Many local residents do not want the N34 to be partially doubled. According to them, it is an attack on the already vulnerable nature and character of the Hondsrug. Moreover, tourism is also suffering, it is expected.

According to the letter writers, driving will be faster after doubling. The inhabitants point to the N33. After this road had made the jump to a four-lane road, people often drove faster than the maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour. “More traffic will use the road from other parts of our country and Germany. More traffic leads to higher nitrogen emissions.”

In the meantime, according to local residents, the province can already take temporary and permanent measures to improve the N34. According to them, they need to be less drastic. Section checks, temporary speed limits, an overtaking ban and obstacles in the middle of the road that make overtaking impossible are some examples that are cited.

“The provincial council has also enforced temporary measures at GS, nothing has yet been achieved,” Jan van Zomeren responds on behalf of the Gasselte Group.

The letter writers find it unacceptable that the Provincial Executive recently asked the residents to think along, while in all cases the N34 must remain a 100-kilometer road and the assumed starting point is doubling. Recently, the Nature and Environment Federation Drenthe also criticized GS’s conduct.

The residents of Drouwen, Exloo, Een, Valthe and Bronnegerveen also find it strange that GS does not seem to want to wait for the outcome of the Environmental Impact Report (EIA) first. “In our opinion, the intended project decision can only be taken in or after 2023. We assume that the results of the EIA are indispensable.”

Jan van Zomeren of the N34 Group Gasselte is also surprised about the path GS is now taking procedurally. According to van Zomeren, GS is now asking residents for views that they have submitted for a long time in response to the N34 draft memorandum Scope and Detail Level in 2020.

“87 persons or bodies have made use of this. This memorandum was adopted unchanged by the Provincial Council on December 16, 2020. Virtually all views have been declared unfounded,” he says.

So at the provincial government they know very well what the local residents think about it, says Van Zomeren. The N34 Group Gasselte wants all views from 2020 to be considered as a response to the current call from GS. According to Van Zomeren, GS creates confusion among residents.

Traffic deputy Nelleke Vedelaar did not respond to both letters. The N34 was unexpectedly discussed in the Provincial Council yesterday due to questions from the SP and D66.

“The EIA was performed at the junction of Gieten and the doubling. With an MER you always have to test against the most extreme final image, which is total doubling. But total doubling is not possible at all.” Vedelaar is referring to the earlier decision by PS to further initiate partial doubling and the budget of a maximum of 90 million euros. You cannot double the entire N34 with that.