Between Groningen and Drachten, at least two collisions involving several vehicles took place in the night from Wednesday to Thursday. This is due to waste dumping. Several roads have been closed due to actions on and around the A7 in Groningen, Friesland and North Holland.
At Midwolde, car tires were dumped on the road, causing a collision around 2:45 am. An accident also took place at Frieschepalen around 3:45 am. No one was injured. The road between Groningen and Drachten will be closed.
Hay bales have been set on fire near Medemblik in the province of North Holland. Rijkswaterstaat has closed the road there at the behest of the fire brigade.
The actions are part of the farmers’ protests against the nitrogen policy.
The police warn road users to be alert to new actions. They must take into account that waste can suddenly be dumped in any place and this can lead to very dangerous situations.
Police are investigating who is responsible for dumping the waste. Rijkswaterstaat is busy clearing the highway.
Actions started Wednesday morning
On Wednesday morning, straw bales, waste and materials containing asbestos were dumped and set alight on various highways.
Rijkswaterstaat had not yet found anyone on Wednesday evening who wanted to clean up the waste on the A1 at Voorst in the direction of Apeldoorn. Road users should take into account that the highway is also closed during the morning rush hour, according to Rijkswaterstaat.
Among other things, material containing asbestos has to be removed, which requires a specialized company. Several employees of contractors who were supposed to clean up the dumped mess on Wednesday have been intimidated. They withdrew after the threats.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no one had been arrested yet. Earlier in the day, police said it would be “difficult” to identify the arsonists.
–
