The municipality wants Nieuwesluizerweg to be safer, the neighborhood hopes for a solution for a life-threatening road

In recent years, things have often gone wrong on the Nieuwesluizerweg, which has several intersections with farmer’s roads on both sides. That’s how it was in February: a truck then crashed into a passenger car and the passenger was injured. According to a witness, the car then approached the Nieuwesluizerweg and wanted to cross the Molenweg. The truck would not have given way to him.

This motorist survived the accident, but that is not always the case. December 2020 died a motorist from Anna Paulowna because he left the road at the intersection between Nieuwesluizerweg and Ulkeweg and collided with a transformer house.

The hall in the village hall in Slootdorp was filled with local residents last night, and many of them have sometimes seen things go wrong on the road several times. This includes a resident of Slootdorp, who had an accident on the road as a truck driver in 2009.

“I was driving at the intersection of Molenweg. A man was blinded by the low sun and never saw my tanker coming. He drove on the wrong side of the road because of this and we crashed into each other. The woman was killed instantly and the man was still in a coma for a while, but also died. So I don’t care what happens, as long as it gets safer. I don’t wish what happened to me back then. It puts your whole life on hold head,” says the man.

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Gert Veenstra, who has lived on the road for over 39 years, has had to help people several times after an accident. Recently, things went wrong again near his farm. “She was sitting on the left side of the road and was shocked by an oncoming vehicle. She turned the wheel and came to a stop in my neighbor’s fence. And that was the fourth time someone drove through it,” says Veenstra.

Thirty accidents

And so the local residents can go on for hours about all the bad experiences along their way. Figures show that in the period from 2018-2023 there were a total of 30 accidents. Reason enough for the municipality to come up with ideas together with engineering firm IV-infra to make the road safer.

The IV-infra employee shared these ideas with the residents last night. Among other things, a widening of the road, a wider verge, a bicycle bridge over the Waardkanaal and middle islands on the road at the intersections were discussed.

The engineering firm used the Westerterpweg, which was completely renovated and widened a few years ago, as an example. According to IV-infra, this is also necessary at Nieuwesluizerweg, because it is only six meters wide. “That’s very narrow.”

‘Perilous’

After the presentation, the residents were also given the opportunity to respond and opinions were very divided. The word ‘life-threatening’ was used regularly, so local residents came up with ideas such as a roundabout at the intersections, a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour and stop signs at every intersection.

The department of Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) was also well represented last night. Little had been done with the letter that the men had written earlier, so they hoped to pass on their findings to the municipality during the information evening.

They are clear: “It will take so long before this will be realized”, says Co Kamst of VVN. Ep de Vries adds: “Continuous line on the road, a maximum of 70 kilometers per hour and stop signs at all intersections. At least for the time being, because then the residents may be a bit safer.”

End of 2025

So there are quick and easy solutions to prevent future accidents, according to the gentlemen of VVN. Because it may take a whilethat there is actually something about it the Nieuwesluisweg going to happen. End of This year the municipality expects to have another meeting with the local residents, in which they can share more concrete plans. The municipality expects the work to start in the last quarter of 2025.