From Friday it will be dull misery on the A7, so if possible: stay far away from it.
Last week we all saw what happens when a bridge collapses. Of course we shouldn't have that. There are also bridges in the Netherlands that are no longer in optimal condition. Quite a lot, in fact.
One of the rickety bridges is the bridge over the Noordhollandsch Kanaal near Purmerend, over which the A7 runs. Currently, no trucks weighing more than 30 tons are allowed over it. Rijkswaterstaat will therefore strengthen this bridge.
The work will start next Friday and that will probably be the start of months of traffic chaos. Two entrances and an exit from the A7 will be closed and the lanes on the bridge will be narrowed. Taking a shortcut is also not an option, because surrounding roads are closed during rush hour.
According to Transport and Logistiek Nederland, none of this would have been necessary if proper maintenance had simply been carried out. And that doesn't just apply to this bridge. “For years, too little has been allocated for maintenance and management. Every year, 2.1 billion euros too little is spent on maintenance and management,” said the chairman of TLN to the Telegraph.
Well, there's nothing you can do about that now. The bridge has to suffer. If you regularly have to use the A7, you will be in trouble until September. Only then will the work be completed. At the earliest.
You can read all the details on the Rijkswaterstaat website.
Photo: a Bentayga with an expensive load on the A7, spotted by @marcvaneendenburg
This article Attention: stay away from the A7! first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
#Attention #stay