Traffic in Groningen has to get used to different traffic situations again now that another, larger part of the ring road will be closed this weekend.
Ring road builder Combination Herepoort is using the May holidays to move the completion of the new Southern Ring Road from the west side to the east side of Julianaplein.
The route between Assen (A28) and Drachten (A7/N7), which has been blocked since March 23, will reopen on Monday, May 6. Traffic in the other direction has been passing through the intersection again since King’s Day.
Before the conversion to the east side of the square, there will be no traffic at all on Julianaplein on May 4 and 5, except for the new route from Drachten / Ring West to Assen.
On the east side of the city, all traffic from Hoogezand towards Julianaplein was banned from the ring road during the entire May holiday week. On Friday evening, that part of the Groningen Ring Road will also close for traffic towards Hoogezand. It will remain that way until September 2.
The closure has major consequences for traffic in the city. Motorists had to get used to the new situation this week. This also had to do with traffic measures in the city, which should prevent excessive crowds in Helpman.
For example, road users are still allowed to go through the Helperzoom tunnel from east to west, but must then turn right onto Helperzoom Noord. A temporary connecting road has been created there with the Hereweg.
The north side of the city center is filling up
This week the closure not only caused traffic jams at well-known places on the south side of the city center (Sontweg, Griffeweg and in front of the Main Station). In several places, road users did not leave intersections clear. It was also noticeably busy on the route along the Ossenmarkt on the north side of the city center: Bloemstraat, Turfsingel, Spilslokken and Noorderhaven.
There will probably be even more (undercut) traffic in the coming months now that the route over the ring road from west to east will also be closed. Groningen Bereikbaar calls on road users to follow the indicated diversion as much as possible. This covers other parts of the ring road. The new Southern Ring Road will open on September 2.
More open and day
In addition to the ring road itself, the double (bottom) roundabout at the Stadspark/Corpus den Hoorn will also be partially closed from Monday. T Until July 27, Herepoort Combination will definitively furnish the west side. During that period, that side is closed, including the Groningen Corpus 36a exit for traffic from Julianaplein. The east side follows between July 27 and August 23. The driveways towards Julianaplein and the western ring, the connection from Concourslaan and the cycle path will also be closed. The entire roundabout will then be closed until August 30.
Between May 6 and June 24, you can enter the City Park (Jan Evert Scholtenlaan) from the roundabout, but not out. Cars can then leave the Stadspark via Concourslaan near the Gasunie building. From June 24 to August 30, Jan Evert Scholtenlaan will be closed in two directions and the entrance to the City Park on Peizerweg will be open.
Residents of the Oosterpoort can use a temporary car route to the Hereweg from May 4 to July 19. It goes over part of the old ring road. A special ramp has been made for it from the Meeuwerderbaan. Traffic leaves the ring again via the old exit to the Hereweg.
