The other day I saw this video thanks to the 24oranges blog. I know the areas being discussed, but didn’t realize that the area first mentioned had been at risk of being built up into a large motorway. As it is, it’s a beautiful, peaceful neighborhood, with trees lining the canal. It’s where I spent part of my first Koninginnedag here, and where I enjoy taking Pippo for a quiet walk.
I thought I’d post a few of my photos of the area to give you another view of some of the areas being discussed.
I might not have known that the one area in the north of the city had been at risk, but I did know about the “shortest motorway”. It’s over by the Vredenburg on the eastern edge of the city, near the station. The traffic is gone now and they’re definitely working to return the water to that spot. My first year here, I did a bit of a then-and-now project for my parents, based on a calendar of old photos I bought for them for Christmas. As you can see here, this is a photo of the main street through Utrecht. The bridge is crossing over what was then the canal.
When I took my photo of the same area in 2008, some parts looked surprisingly similar, but other parts were quite different. The road had widened, obviously, but it was no longer water running under the bridge; it was cars. The motorway was open until this year.
I’m certainly glad they never expanded the motorway. It would ruin some of the beauty of the city. I’m also quite happy to see that the water is returning to the motorway that was built. With all the renovation and construction going on in that part of town, hopefully the end result will be an improvement to the already beautiful city.
A Flamingo in Utrecht 
The water won’t be back in the Catharijnesingel until at least 2017. Until then the space will be used for logistical purposes (storing building materials etc) while they’re building the new Muziekpaleis and Hoog Catharijne.
Thanks for that information. I wasn’t sure when they were expecting to actually add the water back in. It does make sense to use the space for logistical purposes, considering all of the construction taking place.
Btw, see http://www.cu2030.nl/index.php?page=english for information about all the projects that are in progress and in planning stages around the station area.
Thank you for reminding about CU2030. I’ve passed the office they have set up over by the Vredenburg, but always forget to check out the website. It’s interesting to see the full scale of what they’re planning.