The province of North Holland has responded to the commotion surrounding the too narrow N243 at Stompetoren. According to her, the plans have been drawn up according to applicable guidelines, but wide agricultural vehicles should not actually be driving on the road.
earlier it became known that farmers were bewildered because their tractors were too wide for the new N234 at Stompetoren. Because the new lanes are too narrow, the tires of the tractors break, among other things.
National guidelines
Media partner Regional city Central reports tonight that the province has stated in a response that the plans have been drawn up in accordance with applicable guidelines. ‘The wide agricultural vehicles should not actually be driving on the road’, can be read in the reaction, among other things.
Michelle Bouman of the province says: “The design was made according to national guidelines. The lane width is three meters wide and curbs have been laid. This combination ensures that traffic passes at an appropriate speed.”
Curves
The applicable three meters indeed appears to be the norm, but farmers with tractors wider than three meters do not care. The road turns out to be too narrow for them because of the bends in the road, such as at roundabouts. The executor of the work on the renewal of the N234 previously pointed out these problems to the province.
The province in turn refers them to the parallel road. Bouman: “Many agricultural vehicles are driving and that is allowed, but agricultural vehicles that are wider than three meters are not actually allowed to drive here. They have to use the parallel road.”
Dangerous
The alternative offered by the province is not an option for many farmers. They call the situations on the road that sometimes arise with cyclists ‘perilous’. Something that Bouman acknowledges: “The farmers don’t think the alternative is safe.”
It is unclear how the situation will be resolved in the future. A conversation that took place yesterday between infrastructure organization Cumela, agricultural organization LTO, the municipality of Alkmaar and the province calls Bouman constructive. “The province is currently weighing up all the arguments and facts from the conversation. The province is expected to make a decision soon on how to proceed.”