Stroobosser Trekvaart
The Strobosser Trekvaart is a canal that runs from Dokkum to Gerkesklooster and Stroobos in the province of Friesland . There it has connections to the Prinses-Margriet Canal and the Van Starkenborgh Canal .
history
The Stroobosser Trekvaart was laid out between 1654 and 1656 on behalf of the city administration of Dokkum. It was hoped that it would provide a better shipping connection to Groningen . A towpath for horses runs along the canal .
Because of the high costs, the city of Dokkum went bankrupt. As a result, the channel came into the possession of a group of donors. In order to finance the canal, they built customs houses where a road toll had to be paid. The customs houses stood:
- north of Wouterwoud
- near Oostwoude
- at Oudwoude
- and east of Buitenpost
course
The canal runs in a south-easterly direction from Dokkum to the north side of Wouterswoude and Driesum. There he crosses the Nieuwe Zwemmer / Petslot. The canal then runs south of Westergeest, Oudwoude and Kollum . There it turns south and ends at Gerkesklooster and Stroobos in the Prinses-Margriet Canal. Provincial road 910, which is also called the tow path, runs along the canal today.
The road that runs parallel to the canal was previously considered to be the focus of accidents due to its poor condition, the straight course and various intersections. Vehicles traveling at far too high speeds have often hit the shoulder, skid and drifted off the road. Some drivers fell into the canal and drowned. Therefore, the Stroobosser Trekvaart is currently being modernized according to the principles of the shared space concept, making it the first country road to follow this concept.
The design of the road surface is intended to ensure more safety in the future by securing the edge area and specially prepared in order to visually narrow the road, and the intersection areas are paved in order to provoke the driver's attention. Viewing platforms on the long straights should influence the character and also have a positive effect on the speeds driven. The completion took place in June 2009.