Road maintenance during summer holidays
- Local authority Zwolle will handle the traffic unsafety around campus
- There will be a speed bump on the intersection leading to the main entrance
City hall is using 150 000 Euros for various modifications on the Pilotenlaan and the Burg v. Walsumlaan. The maintenance will be done during the first two weeks of August. Most important is tackling the two junctions that regularly cause disturbance and unsafe situations during morning rush hour.
On the junction in front of the main building a traffic plateau will be placed in order for pedestrians to cross safely. During rush hour the junction sees a tangle of pedestrians, cyclists and cars in the direction of Windesheim and Greijdanus College, including outgoing traffic. “In general everyone drives here safely, but sometimes someone makes a turn with fifty kilometres an hour. The bump will make that impossible”, says manager property and facilities Dirk Pieter Halbesma.
The other junction that will be improved is a bit further in the Burg v. Walsumlaan, where cars coming from the IJsselallee meet with traffic from the Pilotenlaan. There the lanes will be made narrower and the traffic island will be expanded, meaning that drivers will be making a turn less fast and paying more attention. “In the past year this junction has seen seven accidents where there was a need for police or ambulance. Much more often however we see ‘almost accidents’ – where people get away with just a scare- on this intersection”, thus Halbesma.
Another adaptation plan, that is still being researched, is broadening the sidewalk next to the water between the main entrance and Pilotenlaan. The idea is to better separate the sidewalk from the roadway. After the vacation, city hall wants to repave the Burg v. Walsumlaan, towards the Greijdanus College and the drive up to the parking places behind the swimming pool. The roadways at that parking lot will be made more organized: one entrance and exit for cars plus one entrance for busses. City hall will also continue annually adding the traffic controllers during the busy period from September until fall break. Moreover city hall still has a few more tonnes available for improvements. As far as Windesheim is concerned, further improvements for safety will be made on route between campus and the station, for example in the Lünen tunnel and on the Koggelaan. (EM)
