The Oostweg is in thousands of pieces at this place

Super inconvenient that closure of the Oostweg in Zoetermeer. But the inconvenience is not for nothing. The asphalt layer of the Oostweg will be replaced by a new one. And that old layer is closer than you think!

Until Monday 25 July we have to make a detour to get to different neighborhoods and the A12. In the meantime, workmen are busy removing the asphalt layer from the Oostweg, among other things. We speak to Gino who has to process tons of old asphalt with his excavator. We speak to him in the parking lot on Van der Hagenstraat.

Tons of asphalt

Fully loaded trucks drive back and forth. Huge mountains of black asphalt tower above the parking lot. Drivers take the old asphalt layer from the Oostweg towards the Van Tuyll Park and then return empty to the Oostweg. There, the old layer is removed as quickly as possible with heavy material. “We have a day to remove the asphalt layer and transport it to this site,” explains Gino. There are six to seven trucks on the road. Sometimes they come back every five minutes. We have to process tons of asphalt.”

New destination for the old Oostweg

Gino shovels the mountains of asphalt on a large heap. Truck drivers tip over their bodies of hot asphalt in front of Gino’s excavator. Once empty, the driver immediately returns to the Oostweg for a new load. “We use the parking lot as a temporary storage place,” explains Gino. “The new asphalt will come on Thursday.”

It’s a lot of work for the men. “So on Thursday filled trucks with new asphalt will come to Zoetermeer. The cargo is unloaded at the Oostweg and then they come this way. We shovel the empty cars full of old asphalt. This is removed and processed into new asphalt. We don’t throw anything away, the old Oostweg will simply be given a new destination.”