The confidence of both the provincial government and the builders of the new southern ring road in Groningen is growing. The biggest reason for this is that work on the road went well during the summer. “As a result, trust between the parties has increased”, says D66 deputy Fleur Gräper.
One of the driving lanes of the ring road was closed for six weeks. There were some minor problems, but according to Fleur Gräper “it all went fairly smoothly. Confidence between all parties involved in this project is now definitely growing. ” There was, she acknowledged, some tension during the final stages of the biggest parts of the project. “All this had to happen. I did a little dance on August 15 when the Helperzoomtunnel was successfully installed.”
According to Gräper, there have also been fewer than expected complaints from local residents about noise pollution, for example due to the vibrating of the steel sheet piling. That work often went on until late in the evening. Work was also regularly carried out on weekends to achieve the planning goals. “The number of complaints varied from a handful per week to slightly more.”
Three year delay
The construction of the new ring road came to a halt last year due to disagreement about the construction plans. The delay is now up to three years (delivery no earlier than 2024 instead of 2021). At the moment there is a lot of talk behind the scenes about who will pick up the bill for the financial consequences of the delay.
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