The plans will cost 15 million euros. The municipality of Groningen will be paying for a large part of it. Together, the RUG and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences will pay 8.4 million.
The Zernike promenade will consist of a wide stretch of park next to the pond, bus lane, and the road. Existing and new trees will frame a bicycle and a footpath, connecting the campus along nearly 1,600 metres. The area near the Duisenberg pond will become the campus’ new green centre.
Unsafe
Currently, many students and staff travel to the campus by bus or bicycle. This traffic has often led to unsafe situations. That is why the Zernikelaan will be reorganised. New traffic rules will be introduced to make cycling safer and to ensure a smooth flow of cars.
The bus and car lanes will be separated by green areas, as will the bicycle and footpaths. The Zonnelaan will be connected to the Northern Ring road. This year, the bicycle lane Penningsdijk will be installed.
These projects will alter the spatial structure in such a way that the business park in the north and the educational area in the south of the Zernike campus will come together to form a single whole, according to the municipality of Groningen.
Boost
‘This investment will make the traffic situation safer and the environment more pleasant. The area as a whole will be more accessible and attractive, and it will provide a boost to employment opportunities’, says alderman Roeland van der Schaaf.
‘The design is a great step towards giving the campus the allure that matches what this area means to the city.
The work is supposed to start during the first three months on 2019, with a finishing date set for 2022.
