Future layout Maagdendries
Traffic flow on the Maagdendries
February 2021
In recent years, a considerable amount of work has been undertaken on and around the Maagdendries. Roads have been moved for the new Noorderbrugroute and the new neighbourhood Lindenkruis has arisen where once the main offices of the city buses and public utilities were located. Opposite the Lindenkruis, the construction of new flats and homes for Sphinx-Zuid is expected to continue until mid-2022. Nonetheless, it is time to look ahead: when will the Maagdendries be tackled and what will the impact be on the traffic flow?
Maagdendries in the present
The road and construction activities of recent years have left their traces on the Maagdendries. Not only due to the many building traffic, but also due to the installation of cables and pipelines. The asphalt and layout are in need of updating, but unfortunately that will take some time. First, the building work at Sphinx-Zuid must be completed. This is expected to be mid-2022, when the last new homes behind Olround bowling will be completed. However, it is expected that around the turn of the year (2021-2022) there will be significantly reduced numbers of large transport vehicles arriving and departing after the completion of the structural work.
Maagdendries in the future
It is therefore foreseen that the Maagdendries will be redesigned in the first half of 2022. The street will remain part of the public transport network, which means that buses will continue to pass through Maagdendries to and from the Boschstraat. However, thanks to current developments at Sappi-Zuidwest, a large part of car traffic will eventually disappear from the Maagdendries, leaving almost only local traffic.
Extending the Maasboulevard
Belvédère WOM B.V. / municipality of Maastricht have bought the southwestern part of the Sappi site. This site, opposite Lumière, is currently the parking lot of Sappi employees. The purchase of this site makes it possible, among other things, to extend the Maasboulevard to the Boschstraat/Frontensingel intersection (near the Muziekgieterij). This will remove a significant amount of car traffic from the Boschstraat and Maagdendries, leaving almost only buses and local traffic. That is expected to be some time around 2024-2025.
New design Maagdendries in 2021
The impact of the extension of the Maasboulevard is now being thoroughly calculated by traffic experts. As soon as the results of this study are available, the municipality of Maastricht will complete the new design for the Maagdendries. We expect to be able to share this new design with the residents in the second quarter of 2021. However, car traffic on the Maagdendries will only decrease once the extension of the Maasboulevard has been realised.
Maagdendries in the meantime
Residents currently experience frequent inconvenience from buses and speeding cars on the Maagdendries. In order to provide pedestrians with a safe crossing and to reduce the speed of car traffic, a new zebra crossing is installed at the Andriespoort. On Tuesday, 11 May, the city of Maastricht will place concrete road blocks on the bus lane between Achter de Barakken and the exits of the Lindenkruis and Sphinxtuin car parks. This will narrow the Maagdendries, so that drivers will adjust their speed sooner.
Questions?
Do you have any questions? Please contact the Belvédère Information Centre. We are more than happy to help.