Resident of the Zijtak in Odoornerveen, Arjen de Ridder, has been faced with a dilemma for several weeks that weighs heavily on his heart. The road where he has lived for 38 years is undergoing a much-needed renovation, but for De Ridder the outcome feels anything but positive. “I have worked for the safety and improvement of this road for years, but now that my parking space is being taken away, it seems as if I am being punished.”
Traffic problems on the Zijtak have been a concern for some time. The verges were damaged by the heavy freight traffic and there were holes in the road. According to the municipality, this would improve with a renovation. De Ridder thinks differently about this.
At first, a makeover sounded like music to De Ridder’s ears, but now he no longer has any positive words to say about it. “Now that the road is being renovated, I notice that I do not benefit from it at all. In fact, I am losing my parking space.”
According to De Ridder, the work on the Zijtak is not only detrimental to him personally, but also not in the interest of road safety. “They are making the road fifty centimeters narrower, while traffic has actually increased since the new connection to the N34. Now they say that the new alternate ports are sufficient, but I still have to see it. Especially with all the agricultural and freight traffic here. passing by.”
The municipality of Borger-Odoorn has announced that the road will indeed become narrower. “We are installing nine passing lanes on the Zijtak. They are 6.5 meters wide, which provides sufficient space to pass safely.”
