There are various issues relating to quality of life and road safety on the roads in the Eerbeek-Loenen area. This applies in particular to the provincial road, the N786, which runs right through Loenen.
Local residents are experiencing nuisance from (freight) traffic, and the road also presents traffic engineering issues. The nuisance relates to the difficulty of crossing the road, road safety concerns and problems with noise and air quality caused by the high volume of (freight) traffic.
In addition, there are various (spatial) developments that affect traffic flows on this road. Measures taken on one road have consequences for another. For this reason, the province of Gelderland and the municipalities of Apeldoorn and Brummen have drawn up a Policy Document, in which the various traffic management challenges are examined in a holistic manner.
At the end of 2021, the province of Gelderland announced that, for financial and spatial reasons, it would not be implementing a permanent solution (a bypass) for Loenen. However, the province has committed to implementing measures to improve the quality of life along the N786 in Loenen. Following this, the municipalities of Apeldoorn and Brummen and the province have agreed to jointly investigate how road safety and quality of life on the N786 and on the municipal roads along the Apeldoorns Kanaal can be improved.
As part of this, Apeldoorn Council is also working to improve the traffic situation on Kanaal Zuid. Independent research shows that reducing the speed limit on this road to 60 km per hour, together with appropriate road layout measures, offers the best solution for improving road safety. A key consideration here is the diversion of some traffic to the N786, which will result from the speed reduction on the Kanaal route. A traffic decision for Kanaal Zuid cannot therefore be viewed in isolation from the quality of life and traffic management issues on the N786.
The developments outlined above have led to the drafting of the Policy Document by the province of Gelderland and the municipalities of Apeldoorn and Brummen.
In 2025, the Provincial Executive, the Municipal Executive of Apeldoorn and the Brummen Municipal Council adopted the ‘Strategy Document on the Eerbeek-Loenen Road Network – Measures and Priorities’. This document sets out the joint vision of the parties involved regarding road safety and quality of life issues in the Eerbeek-Loenen area. It includes an implementation programme with specific measures.
The key measures proposed in the plan are:
You can read about the measures, explanations and impacts in the Policy Statement.
Further information and the documents mentioned above can be found on the Province of Gelderland project page.
The municipalities of Apeldoorn and Brummen and the provincial authorities are currently working on the designs for their respective municipal and provincial roads. Depending on the progress of legal procedures, we expect to be able to start work on Kanaal Zuid in 2027. The road along the Apeldoorns Kanaal within Brummen’s territory will then go ahead.
The N786 (A50 – Loenen and within Loenen) and the Hoofdweg are scheduled for 2028–2029. This schedule is subject to procedures that must be completed in relation to nitrogen.
On Thursday 25 June, we are organising a drop-in session where we will be displaying the design drawings for the improvements to and along Kanaal Zuid. You are welcome to ask questions and have a chat with us. The meeting will take place from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm at the village hall in Oosterhuizen, Het Oude Veen 21.
You can pop in whenever it suits you; there’s no need to book in advance.
Do you have any questions? Or would you like to know more?
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