The municipalities of Apeldoorn and Brummen and the province of Gelderland are working together to make the entire Canal Route along the Apeldoorn Canal safer. The measures form part of the Eerbeek-Loenen Road Network project, which is part of the Eerbeek-Loenen 2030 programme.
A draft of the final design for Kanaal Zuid has now been drawn up. Residents, businesses and other stakeholders provided feedback on this during an information evening on 25 June 2026. This feedback is currently being assessed and incorporated into the final design. The current plan is to start work in the second half of 2027.
Kanaal Zuid is a key route for residents, businesses and freight traffic travelling to and from Eerbeek and Loenen. At the same time, issues relating to road safety and quality of life have been a concern for some time, and serious road accidents occur regularly.
Due to the layout of the road, drivers tend to drive faster than is desirable in some places. Local residents are also experiencing disruption from the traffic. Independent research shows that reducing the speed limit to 60 km/h, combined with changes to the road layout, offers the best way to improve road safety and quality of life on and around Kanaal Zuid. The study will also examine the effects on traffic in the surrounding area, including the N786 through Loenen.
Kanaal Zuid forms part of a wider traffic issue in the Eerbeek-Loenen area.
On various roads in the area, residents and road users are experiencing problems relating to road safety, quality of life and accessibility. This applies, amongst others, to the N786, which runs through Loenen, and to the road alongside the Apeldoorns Canal.
Measures taken on one road have an impact on traffic on other roads. That is why the Province of Gelderland and the municipalities of Apeldoorn and Brummen are looking not just at individual roads, but at the overall transport system in the area. This joint approach is set out in the Policy Document on the Eerbeek-Loenen Road Network (PDF, 38.2 MB).
The road is being redesigned to better suit a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour. The main measures are:
At the moment:
The current plan is to start work on Kanaal Zuid in the second half of 2027.
2025
Spring 2026
25 June 2026
Summer 2026
September 2026
2026-2027
Second half of 2027
Simply changing road signs is usually not enough to bring about a lasting change in driving behaviour. That is why work is being done to design the road layout to suit a speed limit of 60 km/h. This will ensure better compliance with the lower speed limit.
The Kanaalroute is a major transport route for motorised and freight traffic. To improve road safety, work is underway on a solution whereby cyclists will use alternative routes. Accessibility to homes and businesses remains a key consideration in this regard.
Yes. Both local authorities are working together with the province of Gelderland to improve the Kanaalroute. Although each manages its own section of the route, the plans are being closely coordinated so that the entire route will eventually have a recognisable and uniform design.
A redevelopment of Kanaal Zuid requires careful preparation.
This requires, amongst other things:
The impact of measures on other roads in the area is also being assessed. A traffic measure on Kanaal Zuid could affect traffic flows elsewhere. That is why solutions are being developed in a coordinated manner. These steps take time, but are necessary to ensure a safe, workable and future-proof solution.
Would you like to find out more about the plans for Kanaal Zuid? If so, please take a look at the documents below.
The Kanaal Zuid approach forms part of the Eerbeek-Loenen 2030 Road Network project. The following organisations are collaborating within this programme:
Do you have any questions about the plans for Kanaal Zuid?
Please feel free to get in touch with us
