The construction of a safe bicycle connection between Zuidwolde and Linde is 165,000 euros more expensive than expected. According to the municipality of De Wolden, extra money must be set aside for the project because of the higher costs due to material scarcity and higher energy, wages and fuel prices.
A detached bicycle path will be constructed between Zuidwolde and Linde. A bicycle bridge over the provincial road N48 will be part of the cycle route. In total, the municipality thought that the construction of the bicycle path and bridge would cost just under 2.5 million euros, of which around 1.3 million had to be paid out of its own pocket.
So there is now 165,000 euros on top of that. The central government and the province also contribute through various subsidies. The maintenance costs of the bridge will later also be borne by the municipality. It is not yet known how much this will cost annually.
Linde has been pushing for a safe cycling route for years. Now that more and more secondary school students from Zuidwolde are cycling in Dedemsvaart via the Linderweg, the same cry is also becoming louder in Zuidwolde. Cyclists now have to share a narrow viaduct with motorized (agricultural) traffic.
The council also announced that the built-up area of Linde will be expanded. In consultation with the province, this will be expanded and the border will be 190 meters before the village.
The road can then be designed as a 30-kilometre zone, where cyclists and other traffic share the road. This is necessary because a plot owner does not want to sell land along Linderweg for the last part of the cycle path up to the current built-up area.