Construction on the Traverse-South Waalre thoroughfare is still some way off.
In a month, that town’s municipal board will have had to come up with alternatives to reduce noise. The coalition and opposition parties have both tabled amendments. They feel that not enough attention has been paid to noise pollution.
The board has submitted a final proposal about the road to the council. It’s an important road that runs through the whole of Waalre and is now being tackled. With the reclassification of the road, it should reduce traffic by some 30% in the long term.
Noisy road
Thorough traffic, in particular, must be avoided. For example, it has been decided to renew the road by repaving it. The clay bricks are noisy.
According to Councillor Arno Uijlenhoet, it’s a difficult decision. “It was a complex choice between factors like sustainability, appearance, costs, and noise. We consider the noise.”
“It’s now been decided to give less priority to the noise and more to the road’s appearance.” The opposition parties think this is utter nonsense. There are alternatives that not only look good but are sustainable and reduce noise pollution – concrete paving stones.
According to Kees De Zeeuw, D66 councillor, it’s like choosing between a modern washing machine or a jackhammer. “We’d prefer our residents to have a modern washing machine.”
Not cheaper
“The board wants to give them a jackhammer”. According to him, the clay bricks aren’t cheaper at all; you must renew them every 15 years. The concrete paving stones, only every 25. “They’d be defrauding the people.”
Even though the coalition and opposition parties both submitted motions, they’re not in agreement. Daan Damen, chairman of the VVD, disagrees with De Zeeuw’s statements. “I think those figures have been made up,” he says.
“The whole thing sounds dubious”. The discussion was heated, and no vote was taken. The council board now has a month for further research.
After that, they must present four alternatives, which consider the noise the road may cause. But, it’ll be some time before work can begin – probably only in February 2021.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Bob
Editor: Melinda
