Most dangerous intersection in Amsterdam closed for four weeks: “Hopefully it will be safer”
The Agreement of the Stadhouderskade with the Ferdinand Bolstraat has been signed since this morning. The busy intersection will be redesigned to make it safer and to offer cyclists more space. The municipality expects the intersection to be four weeks long.
Cyclists who have to go to the Weteringschans from the Ferdinand Bolstraat will have to dismount for the time being. Many cyclists fully understand this, but for a few it causes irritation: “I live a little further away and they have been working there for years, and now this is already happening. It is especially very uncomfortable. Cyclists have to detouring cars. Anyway, I don’t know logistics is the greatest talent of the municipality of Amsterdam,” says a passer-by.
Normally we have to wait for the traffic light and now we have to get off for a while and then we continue. We are actually happy that all the cars are gone for a while. It is a dangerous part on the route to my children’s school, hopefully it will be safer,” he says.
Local traffic to the center will be diverted via Westeinde, Weteringschans and Museum Bridge. Traffic heading in the direction of De Pijp will be diverted via Wibautstraat, President Kennedylaan and Hobbemakade.
According to area manager Marieke Nonhebel, the intersection is one of the dangerous black spots in the city. From 2017 to 2019, nine events took place here, one of which involved fatalities. The current work should ensure that cyclists have more space. Nonhebel: “The bicycle path on the Stadhouderskade has space for cyclists at the intersection. Cyclists also have to wait a bit for the cars so that if they drive a bit before the cars pass.”