Project Wolvega
Pilot in Noord Nederland: Wolvega (engelstalig)
Wolvinga's shopping street "de Hoofdstraat" [Main Street] has been bisected by the busy Rijksweg [National Road] for ages. Until the construction of the new A32 National Road in the 80s all the through traffic on the route Heerenveen-Steenwijk forced its way through Wolvega's centre. Crossing it was dangerous for the shopping public even though traffic lights controlled the traffic. Lots of accidents happened.
Simultaneously with the decision to double the width of the A32 it was decided to have Wolvega's village centre relieved by leading all through traffic by means of a wide curve round Wolvega and renovating the crossing in the shopping street. The crossing of the Hoofdstraat was done in the form of a plateau. The complete top surface has been paved as a zebra crossing to mark and emphasize the pedestrian zone. In order to link both sides of the shopping street a work of art has been erected which functions as street lighting in the hours of the night. The massive stream of cars has disappeared from the village since the construction of the ring road but still with 5.500 vehicles every 24 hours it remains a busy spot. Yet since the reconstruction hardly any accidents have happened here.