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Transport companies are seriously concerned about the temporary closure of the A7 between Sneek and Joure, he reports Omrop Fryslan. Yesterday it was announced that the road is still certain closed for six months remains.

Part of the tunnel under the Princess Margriet Canal’s aqueduct is pushed up from groundwater. This has created a threshold in the asphalt which is a traffic hazard.

The A7 is a major traffic artery, heavily used by transport companies. As the road is now closed, traffic is being diverted. Roads and bridges on detours are subjected to increased load, transport companies fear that they wear out faster. Rijkswaterstaat, the province and the municipalities involved have also expressed concern about this.

The consequences are also important for commuters and local residents:

Also, businesses are concerned about the water sports season. Bridges therefore open often and this causes congestion, meaning trucks are on the road longer.

Christien Lycklama à Nijeholt, director of the Hoekstra transport company in Sneek, hopes that one lane of the A7 will soon be open, so that it can be used at least over the Easter weekend. That weekend is the opening of the water sports season in Friesland so it’s busy on the water.

But according to Omrop Fryslân, that’s not the case yet. Rijkswaterstaat stabilized the tunnel elements with 10,000 large sandbags.

Due to the closure, villages along the detours are also affected by traffic. According to Lycklama à Nijeholt, road safety is under pressure there. He is afraid of accidents and therefore urges his employees to adjust their speed and drive as safely as possible.