Redesigning the Majellaknoop in Utrecht: From ‘city motorway’ to urban park
In a busy traffic junction in West Utrecht in the centre of the Netherlands, a six-lane road has been closed ‘just like that’ to create a greener, more liveable environment. Thanks to smart road adaptations, traffic now flows smoothly and safely. The Municipality of Utrecht and BAM Infra Nederland jointly developed solutions for this complex project, including a more compact phasing plan and an innovative bus stop that preserves existing trees.
‘In consultation with the municipality, we merged the first seven project phases into just four,’ explains Jarik Eenkhoorn, work planner at BAM Infra Wegen. ‘During those phases, we widened the Thomas à Kempisplantsoen, relocated the bus lane on Vleutenseweg and widened the road itself, and renewed the junction with Spinozaweg. By enlarging our work zone, we were able to complete this in one go, before Christmas and before potentially worse weather. This optimisation improves both the efficiency and quality of our work.’
Sustainable Measures
BAM carries out the work as sustainably as possible. ‘Our asphalt mixtures consist of nearly 85% secondary materials and have a low CO₂ footprint thanks to the low production temperature,’ says Jarik. ‘Where possible, we used our electric asphalt paver and electric mobile cranes and loaders. Additionally, all our machinery runs on more sustainable fuel.’
The municipality and BAM came up with a unique solution to preserve several trees along Vleutenseweg. ‘We went to great lengths here, because greenery is crucial for the city’s liveability,’ emphasises Jan Abelen, project manager at the Municipality of Utrecht. ‘The new bus lane is built on decking supported by piles, with tree granulate underneath. This allows the trees to take root properly and prevents the bus stop from subsiding.’
