It is the Canadians whom started with the trucker support from bridges If someone stands stil on a road bridge we think someone is starting the ceremony with the flags. I always honk these days. It is to support the fight against our fascist wef politicians Inside coup created bij the ruling politicians Yes in holland like Justin Trudeau in Canada
@@martin_voxmartin Wow how to make it about politics martin... Ofcourse the dutch truck drivers have only started honking since they started doing this 2 years ago in Canada... right! :)
@@draregrevtaam1147 I remember when I was small, I would wave at trucks and cars on top of a bridge with my friend. We would laugh when they honked lol. Like 10 years ago
This actually isn't the main highway between The Hague and Rotterdam. It's an extension of the A4, the main highway between Amsterdam and The Hague which was needed to relieve the A13 which is the main highway between Rotterdam and The Hague. Environmentalists and local residents have successfully managed to block the construction of this road for many years. The only way to get it accepted was to create the semi tunnel that you're looking at.
That is incorrect. This road was originally planned in the sixties as part of the European road network, connecting Groningen through Amsterdam and Antwerp with Paris (E10). Resistance came from local farmers which later got hijacked by environmentalist groups. The A13 was originally a two lane road that connected The Hague with Rotterdam but as they couldn't legally finish the A4 they promoted it to become a highway and part of the E10. The inconvenient location of the A13 since then caused this road to be a major bottle neck, creating more air pollution than what the environmentalists claimed to want to prevent by blocking further development of the A4. A section of the originally planned road still does not exist and most likely never will - you can see it on the map where the A4 splits into a East-West bound road but was meant to travel further South. Because of this the E-road still adds quite a bit of inconvenience both for the intended international traffic as well as local commuting and they are currently working to make the A13 part of an alternative fast connection towards Antwerp again. An additional issue with the road now being recessed in the ground is that it sits below groundwater level and needs to be continuously pumped which raises the groundwater level in the surrounding area and creates new problems. There was no victor here, everybody lost and you will likely disagree but so did nature.
Actually, the A4 consisted of 3 separate parts before this trajectorie was built. The trajectorie shown connects between Rijswijk and Schiedam (from agglo's of The Hague and Rotterdam respectively). There is still a missing link between Hoogvliet and Klaaswaal. You can see at Klaaswaal A29 a strange situation where the two directions of the A29 diverge, there is where the A4 should connect.
@@WhoStoleMyAlias rijksweg 13 two lane? in 1930 misschien... in 40 gebruikten de duitsers em al als landingsbaan voor hun junkers... en het viaduct bij overschie dateert ook al van ver voor de 60-er jaren
You make me so proud of living here. The Dutch really get it right. I used to live in the countryside in the south of the country. Now I live in the center of the city of Eindhoven. I am constantly astounded at the quiet. Right in the middle of the city at the busiest time of day, it's relatively quiet. That has to do with all our buses being electric and many electric delivery vans. But it's also the way the city is organized so that heavy traffic doesn't come through the middle of the city. I love it here!
A very big part of sound reduction also comes from the type of asphalt that is used. ZOAB is the standard and that reduces sound by about 4dB(A) at 120kph, which reduces the perceived sound by more than half as decibels have a logarithmic curve. Nowadays two-layer ZOAB is used which cuts the sound even more with 6dB(A) which cuts down the perceived sound even more. It has some big downsides like how easily it gets damaged when it's freezing and the fact that it doesn't last as long. The pros very much outweigh the cons. As mentioned it is quieter, almost no water spray during rain and very low chance of aquaplaning. Because of the lack of spray the lining on the asphalt stays visible as well.
You never biked at the countryside and suddenly approached something that made you think 'oh... there's a road here... oh it's a highway'? Because I have, a lot.
@@SwirlingSoul Active euthanesia, sexual addictions, abortions under almost all kinds of circumstances, a huge divorce rate, huge drug trafficking, many thousands of illegal & barbaric aliens, gross violence are also part of the hypocritical Dutch society. And that's why many people suffer daily from all kinds of sounds in their bewildered minds. So it's really quiet, but not really ...
@@SwirlingSoul People suffer daily because of their ignorance. That's why they don't have any actual quietness. "Complain on youtube ..."? That's very comical only. I've mentioned a few simple facts, that's it. Which you clearly can't stand because of your personal sentiments.
The difference is massive indeed. You can still clearly hear the A20 highway from 3 kilometers away, while you only hear this road from about 100 meters away with similar wind conditions.
I believe the Dutch also use special low-noise asphalt on highways, this substantially reduces rolling noise, even from right in that channel with all the noise being funneled up towards you, it sounds quieter than roads like this near me from further away than that. In some areas you can hear the whoosh of tyres from a half-mile away.
Two sorts of asphalt are common in The Netherlands, DAB (dicht asfalt beton) what is the "normal" asphalt, where water can't run through but is guided to the side because of height differance. Then there is ZOAB (zeer open asfalt beton) It's open structure allows water to go through it and it will be guided to the side underneath the surface, it produce less noise because the tyre has less contact with the asphalt than with the DAB-version, and you'll need more distance when performing a emergency stop (less contact is less friction is more distance). It also produces hardly any spray when it's raining. Hope this helps
@@Bruintjebeer6 I was born close to highway from Zwolle to Amersfoort, when I moved, I couldn't sleep for a few months, "missing" the noise 24/7. Now I only suffer from COPD and other lung diseases, for we have these "geluidsschermen". Kuch
Yes correct! Zoab we call it… it is kind of porous asphalt that also stays a lot dryer, as water drains away much quicker. Makes that asphalt safer too in winter, less “ijzel”, slippery ice formation….
ZOAB deteriorates due to weather corrosion more quickly and ices up fairly badly, which are downsides that are acceptable for some Dutch roads with heavy traffic (so they need frequent maintenance anyway) and few icing days (and when those happen, lots of salt is applied to roads). It's not necessarily great for other countries with different weather or for less used roads.
You pointed to the wildlife bridge further on. But it is more than that. It is a combination of an eco duct (for wildlife) and an aqua duct (for water). It is between 70 and 80 meters wide and about half of it is water and half is land. The water passage was needed because the new highway cut through the middle of the polder. It also cut through a main draining canal so the part of the polder on the east side of the highway could not drain any more. So this eco-aqua duct was necessary.
As a neighbour to this place I must say this solution is exceptional for The Netherlands because this highway extension would otherwise cut through two cities in an unacceptable manner. The stunning effect of muting down motorised vehicle noise is very convincing if you cross the bridge on a bicycle. I see this kind of motorway construction into the landscape more often applied in France 🇫🇷 than in our own country, unfortunately.
@@var67 it’s more the fact that they call this crazy infrastructure when we have stuff which is borderline insane how we built them, such as the delta works, which also seem like a normal thing to me by now.
I noticed that we seem to need these videos made by expats and/or visitors to realise how amazing and practical we are 😊. My husband keeps telling me he found this out when he came here from the UK in the early seventies of the previous century. He never left. 82 years old and still cycling 50 km in spring, summer and autumn. He even learned how to skate on “Friese doorlopers” (when we still had frozen canals).
Helemaal mee eens. We vergeten soms dat het landje waar we in leven helemaal niet zo slecht is vergeleken met andere plekken op de wereld. Zeker als het gaat om de infrastructuur. De paar keren dat ik in het buitenland ben geweest, langde ik altijd weer terug naar de fietspaden in Nederland, want die zijn zoals nergens anders. 😁
Funny how I stumbled upon this video. I was raised less then a kilometer away from this location. Some fun facts: This road was planned since the 50/60’s, the part around Delft was build around 2000. The last stretch (what you see in the video) around 2015. Since the start there was a large body of sand (5 meters high roughly) which has condensed the ground significantly, so the concrete ‘tunnel’ won’t sink that easy into our wet landscape. As kids we used this track to race with mopeds and motorcycles. The last part of the highway (near Schiedam) is a long tunnel with buildings and parks on top of it. Due to safety if there is a traffic jam on the other side of the tunnel, traffic is stopped before the tunnel, to prevent cars from getting stuck inside the tunnel. People were invited to walk/bike on the highway days before official opening. My parents still have a bit of sand commemorating the old situation in a jar. At my parents place we can hear the trains between Delft and Rotterdam (3,5 km away), however we cannot hear traffic on this highway
These sunken highways are quite common; there’s also aquaducts (check out the Gouwe-aquaduct, over the A12 near Gouda), and numerous ecoducts, either as overpasses, or as underpasses for smaller animals. Yes, it’s expensive, but it keeps the country livable.
This is only about 20 minutes by bike from where I live. And I really like how a simple video shows the effectiveness of noise reduction just by lowering the highway down a little bit. You don't need a closed tunnel and all its complications. It's less expensive than you might think. For this project the biggest cost was incurred when they had to rebuilt parts of the actual tunnel about 1 kilometer from where you're standing. Groundwater was coming up (expected) but it had a much higher salt level than expected. And some of the chosen materials needed to be replaced with others.
As part of my studies in Delft, someone from the municipality explained to us in full how the decision making process for the "A4 Midden-Delfland" went. It cost a few hundred million euros extra to make the new A4 "half verdiept" (half deep) compared to ground level, but the noise levels in the surrounding areas was unacceptable otherwise. Midden Delfland is one of the last remaining nature reserves in the area. A bit further southwards, the Ketheltunnel was constructed, again at great cost, to please the inhabitants of Schiedam. They even put sports fields on top of the tunnel and parking along the sides of the structure. I'm blessed to be learning about infrastructure planning in The Netherlands of all countries.
What is also remarkeble about this road are the lights, they are below the surrounding land level and don't pollute the surrounding landscape with light at night.
Born in the Nederlands moved to Australia , love the way everything is set out , brings back so many memories . Thank you , it shows nature and man can live together in such small area .
Near where I grew up in Germany they had a lonely wildlife bridge across the Autobahn as well. Back then I found it mind-blowing. Now I find it mindblowing that we have thousands of kilometers of highways without such structures. Just scars in the landscape, like impassable country borders for animals. Granted, some wildlife might cross on pedestrian paths above or below the Autobahn or where there are larger bridges across valleys or tunnels. But in the flat landscape of northern Germany, there often is only one path for say deer to cross: a small pedestrian path next to a large road crossing the Autobahn. I am sure some animals are freaked out on these roads. Also imagine being a deer living in a small section of forest next to the Autobahn - without any noise protection. The toll on your brain and your lung must be unbearable.
Like Germany cannot afford bridges for wildlife over their 200km/h or unlimited speed highways! But then again, Germany does not have the population density The Netherlands have… much more nature in Germany is my impression…. More infrastructure directed at wildlife habitat would be a good idea for Germany too, I agree. One cannot have too much uninterrupted wildlife habitat…
@@Henkvanpeer Germany does not have more nature, it has more agricultural areas. For example most forests in the remot hills all over central germany are more or less monoculture forests for lumber. Come along a single problem, like drought, storm or beetles, large sections of it just die. I would love to agree that Germany has more nature, but I fear it is just more space.
@@abcdef-qk6jf I have to think of american cities, where you cannot cross many streets in the middle of the city as a pedestrian and have to walk like 1-3 km just to get to the other side of the road.
Crazy, I drove on that highway for dozens of times, while only seeing it from the car's perspective. You only see the walls! No idea all that was above there.
So this specific piece of infrastructure is the result of decades of discussions. Early plans started in the 1950s where it was planned as an ordinary highway. However, there were concerns regarding the air quality and noise pollution. The alternative would be a tunnel but this was considered too costly. All in all, development was stalled by decades until the decision for a partial tunnel and sunken highway was made in 2009 and the project was finished in 2015. Quite an interesting piece of infrastructure, and not only from a technical perspective.
Thank you for the video. I recognized the road but have never seen what is outside of the "tunnel". Very interesting. We should be proud of our country.
I drive on this road every day. You filmed it on a quiet moment actually as it usually grinds to a complete stand still during the morning and evening rush hour.
1:50 See that metal pin sticking out of the concrete ? It's a reference point for doing geometric measurements. 2:12 That truck in the background seems to have had a brake test, it left quite a trail on the road.
The green meadows you saw are about 2 to 5 meters (6.5 to 20 feet) below sea level. The water is kept artificially low otherwise The Netherlands would be under water for a few meters. And the highway is maybe even 7 meters lower, so the water level is hardly a drawback, when constructed decently that is. And the drainage of rain water is dependent on good and sufficient drains and pumps (not the high heels kind). So there is a solution for almost everything, but you’ll just have to invest and maintain. So hardly a drawback.
You should do a video on how they use bricks in urban streets to increase safety. Where my sister lives, for example, the bricks are designed so that if you exceed the speed limit the noise from the road gets very loud, to warn you. Also, the cycle lanes run beside the roads and have a different brick, so the sound changes if you venture into the lane. The road lines are built into the bricks, so that they remain reflective and visible for the life of the brick.
Well, I've never seen that anywhere, and I'm from the Netherlands. Not saying it isn't there where you sister lives, but it's not remotely the default (except almost everywhere cycle lanes on busy roads are separate and the newer ones tend to be red (but usually asphalt).
@@nagranoth_ I have come across it quite often (living in Veenendaal and also having seen it in some towns in Flevoland). Although usually the entire road has the same kind of bricks because the maximum speed is low enough that usually there isn't a seperate bike lane. Where I live, lot of streets with a 15 km/h limit have them, as well as some 30 km/h roads where people have a tendency to drive too fast. The bricks used are also called 'klinkers'
I drive this road from Vlaardingen to Rijswijk every day for work, I can confirm they outdid themselves on this one. For years people were protesting against this highway so the government had to improvise and make sure everyone got what they wanted, which is why they put extra effort into keeping the countryside the way it is while also getting the highway done.
And it'll probably the same when the Blankenburgtunnel is finished, don't you think? ;-) At first everybody's protesting, screeming that they will NEVER use that road... but after a while... when they're used to it... and when they see the comfort of it... ;-) That's how they are in Vlaardingen, nietwaar? 😀
Although I am a Brit by birth and genes, I grew up in the Rotterdam area. The bit you showed us is just about the most expensive piece of road the Netherlands have. It was built to complete the Amsterdam-Antwerp cargo route (Although there is still that bit between spijkenisse and Oud-Beijerland which will probably never be built.When it's dark it seems like there's a low black roof above your head and you're all boxed in. Driven over that road more times than I can count.
Hello Paul, nice contribution, but you are a bit off. The Amsterdam-Antwerp cargo route is still far from finished. The A4-highway was extended by the part in this video, from The Hague to Rotterdam, mainportarea. Ends there. Resumes in the township of Heijningen, and then runs uninterrupted to Antwerpen. But that incomplete part will never be built or constructed, simply because other highways like A15 and A29 have taken over its role.
@@Dirk-van-den-Berg I mentioned that bit. I lived in Spijkenisse for 15 years, I can know. I also know the people living in Maaswijk never got their promised direct A4 access. A prt further south was finished approx. 8 yuears ago. The bit between rotterdam and heijningen is the last remaining piece that was not built.
Very nice video! There is a eco-acquaduct close by to the south, just follow the trail in the direction of Rotterdam; they ve built a bridge for the river Zweth…. Amazing infrastructure!
This countryside is just outside of my neighbourhood. I spend a lot of time their with my dog. I was born in this area and lived here all my life. I’m 51 now. It took 50 years of debating before this road was build. It’s actually quite new and it connects the A20 with the A13 and A4 to Amsterdam. The A 13 used to be the only highway to reach Amsterdam from Zeeland and basically the Southwest of Holland. The plan was to build this road on top of the ground, bit it would cross right through urban area’s of Vlaardingen and Schiedam, two small city’s to the south of where he is standing in this clip. That’s why people blocked the construction for so long, the original beds for this road were constructed back in the 60’s. The solution was found in tunneling and building the road under ground level. To the south of where he is standing, this road goes into a long tunnel complex where those urban area’s are. On top of the tunnel and thus the road, they build a park and sporting facilities. The only problem is the water level, they installed huge pumps that keep the tunnel free of ground water, bit if they would fail, the tunnel would fill up with water quite quickly. When you drive south emerging from this tunnel, you almost immediately go into the next tunnel, the Benelux tunnel, that crosses under the Nieuwe Waterweg and Rotterdam Harbour. Now when it’s busy and there is a traffic jam into the Benelux tunnel, the tunnel under the sport facilities etc is kept free from standing traffic. All traffic is stopped on the highway through traffic lights and dosed into the tunnel when there’s room on the other side, so nobody is stationary in the tunnel. When there would be a traffic jam allowed in the tunnel and the pumps fail, all those in the tunnel would drown in the flooding of the tunnel with ground water. So there is a traffic jam before this tunnel quite often.
I live in Vlaardingen and was just about to tell this story. Thank god you already did. Saves me time. Before the tunnel and road were build, this was an amazing place to walk our dog daily
@@deezet9518 ik vrees voor de Broekpolder. Dat zou echt verschrikkelijk zijn. Langzaam verdwijnt elk stukje groen wat nog over is. Ik herken het Vlaardingen van mijn jeugd al niet meer.
We Dutch are higly pragmatic/ creative when it comes to infrastructure. On average every tax Euro spent earns 3 Euro for the GDP. Also in a high density population small country you need to be very creative to solve problems. And yes we also hate taxes, butt when used corectly, taxes can really benefit all citizens.
The Dutch worked out road planning so advanced. No other country in the world can compare. Yes others build several lanes and roundy off ramps but they have not resolved the noise factor. The Dutch have got it hands down.
Look up the N434. I live around there and for all of my youth there was discussion about the 'RijnlandRoute'. When they built homes there they left room for this road to come, but when you build homes somewhere, people will live there. And people really liked the calmness off the place and didn't want a road going straight past their neighbourhood. So what did they do after years of protest? They're building a massive tunnel as we speak underneath the north end of the municipality of Voorschoten. And I suppose this is the one advantage of living in a tightly packed country, money for infrastructure.
Wow never looked at it this way, for me it’s almost normal, makes me so proud of our dutchies. So clever! But that it was this noise cancelling, that’s so awesome. The truck honking at you lol
2:52 That wildlife crossing is only for a small part a land crossing, but mostly a canal, with a footbridge, crossing the highway as well. It's a surreal relax spot above a 6-lane highway
We have to build like this. The Netherlands is a small country where just way too many people live. Another great example is the rush hour lane. There’s not enough space to build a permanent extra lane, so outside rush hours it is an emergency lane closed for traffic. During rush hours the lane is open for traffic. The lanes are monitored by cameras and a control room. If someone needs an emergency lane, the lane is immediately closed for traffic. Or the “wisselbaan” (changing lane literally translated). Most traffic goes to the city in the morning and away from the city in the evening. So in the morning 2 extra, separated lanes are open towards the city. In the evening the direction change away from the city.
I live in delft next to the highway and it has indeed cost a fortune. Many bird species come to breed here and that is why they have protected the area by building the highway in this way.
Hi, thanks for sharing, that is really awesome, in particular for noise sensitive people (HSP's). As a nature lover I'm also a fan of wildlife bridges, in Germany they are even used by linx.
The original A4 design is the shortest route between Amsterdam and the harbors of Antwerp (Belgium). Not just Amsterdam and Rotterdam like most always think. It was never completely built, only certain pieces of it, cause that original trajectory crosses a number of "green belts" and "flora and fauna" (wildlife and birds) zones. So people have always used other trajectories for that route. Those roads have however become completely clogged up as the years went by. Those roads can't be made wider cause it crosses residential areas with buildings sometimes less than 50 meters / 45 yards from the roads. Building this particular piece (the one in your video) recessed or sunken, to avoid clashes with wildlife restrictions, was actually cheaper than elevating the existing roads and adding elevated "noise screens" for those roads. Another part of the original A4 trajectory that was also (finally) build was the piece between Haringvliet (an important junction of rivers and waterways) and Bergen op Zoom (the last major Dutch city before Antwerp +/- 13.5km / 8 miles from the border). Cause it used to just stop. Right there at the exit of a small town called Dinteloord (a town of 4000 people). Went from two lanes to one lane to an exit. In that case, they decided to swerve the road 3.5 km (2 miles) from the original trajectory, completely around the opposite side of a town it was supposed to pass on the original side, including noise screens, cause that in all was cheaper than recessing it as they did at Delft. That decision also meant demolishing already completely build and ready overpasses (build in the '70's prior to the planned road, the one that was never built) that have stood there since the '70's, right there in the middle of the green zone or a farmers' field. Invisible to anyone but the locals.
notice that the highway lampposts are pretty low so that you don't see them in the surrounding landscape of Midden-Delfland (especcially in the dark to avoid Lighting polution. An awesome detail. Therefore the lampposts are closer to another then normally on a Highway. Midden Delfland is a open grasland/part recreation area between Rotterdam-Schiedam Delft-The Hague- Zoetermeer and the only open landscape in this part of the dense populated area. The planning of Highway A4 between Schiedam and Delft took a really long time because a lot of people like the open landscape of Midden-Delfland. So eventually they constructed the highway below groundlevel.
I'm at 0:38 and know that road very well. So I know already what he's going to show before seeing it in this particular video and he is right! It really is amazing. Edit: at 2:30 now and nope the A4 really was not busy at all at that moment.
O yeah, but a lot of motorways in the Netherlands are below sea level. The A4 particularly. It goes through the Haarlemmermeer where Schiphol airport is located, even throught a tunnel under the airport. So there you go.
This is so dope ❤ More places should build like this. Come on, we have the means, let's do it properly. It works so much better like this, at least for everyone around the highway. With cars soon to be automated anyway, people are likely going to be stating at their screens while in transit, so there is no big loss on their end either.
Automated cars are still a long way off. As long as humans are in the mix, cars won't be autonomous any time soon. We are too unpredictable for narrow AI to work with or next to. And especially in dense cities, especially European and many Asian cities where streets are narrow, complex, with complicated intersections, and where cars, cyclists and pedestrians constantly mix in many different ways, cars won't be driving autonomously any time soon. It'd be extremely dangerous for anyone not in a car. AI is great for performing relatively simple tasks, limited to one field, one function, etc. Unfortunately driving is very complex, requiring constant managing of many different inputs and different systems, requires anticipation of human behaviour, requires human contact and reading of human cues and behaviour, and so on. All of which AI is currently incapable of doing, and probably will never be able to do untill it becomes sentient or near sentient. Let's not forget Tesla has been selling their driving assist as "full self driving" for almost a decade now, and has been promising fsd is coming this year or next year pretty much every year for the last 5 years as well, yet still they're nowhere near actual fsd. The number of things we humans do subconsciously without even thinking while driving, walking, cycling etc. are immense. AI is nowhere near capable of that. It took decades and decades to get a robot to walk like a human or an animal, and then it's all that AI is capable of doing. We do it without thinking. Driving is just the same. And all of this is not even taking into account the unpredictability of the natural environment, as recent harsh winter weather has proven. Even the best "self driving" systems can not manage in heavy snow, on deteriorated roads, on roads with bad road markings, etc without constant human intervention. No, cars won't be autonomous any time soon, believe me. And besides that, I would not even want automated cars in my city. When I'm cycling or walking, I want to he able to look a driver in the eyes to see they have seen me, and to be able to anticipate what they will do next. Often just a glance or some eye contact is enough to know what that driver is going to do, wether or not they saw you, wether or not they're going to let you go first, and so on. All this COMPLETELY disappears with self driving autonomous cars. It'll be a disaster for all who aren't in a self driving car, and even if they became a reality soon, I think they'll be quickly banned from dense walkable cities, and I would not even be surprised if they'll never be allowed in some cities at all. It'll be like low emissions zones, we'll have "no autonomous vehicles zones", just to ensure the safety of all other road users who aren't in a car.
Cool video on something that is not that far from my home and that I knew was there (from riding the highway myself). But I must tell you the first time I cycled up to that bridge, only the last ~20 meters I realised what was coming. It really is that quiet! It is so different from the (slightly elevated) A13 that runs parallel to it ~4 kilometers to the East, that is very present in the landscape. Thanks fro this!
Active euthanesia, sexual addictions, abortions under almost all kinds of circumstances, a huge divorce rate, huge drug trafficking, many thousands of illegal & barbaric aliens, gross violence are also very much part of the hypocritical Dutch society. And that's why many people suffer daily from all kinds of sounds in their bewildered minds. So it's really quiet, but not really.
@rajarsi6438 I am in the first stages of Alzheimer's disease and boy am I glad that when the time comes I have the option to choose euthanasia. And ONLY me, myself and I can make that decision. NO ONE ELSE. In pretty much every other country I would just wither away until just an empty shell, a living corpse without a functioning brain remains. This is something no one should have to go through if he/she wants to pass away with some dignity. Sir, ma'am, you have no clue what you are talking about.
@@chipdale490 Your nickname doesn't tell me you're a person who understands dignity. It suggests to me you're a dull headed hedonist. And the fact is one can't artificially escape the suffering one has invited because of animalistic preferences. When you think your life ends when leaving your present body you're mistaken. It seems you haven't got a clue. But good luck with anyway with your hipster Holland megalomania.
@@rajarsi6438 Try again, and this time in English please. Artificially escape? Suffering? Animalistic preferences? It’s almost funny. Btw, if you knew me you’d know I am pretty much the complete opposite to what you call ‘hipster’. Just ask my wife and kids. ;)
did you also know they sunk the railroads of delft? the tracks used te be above ground on all these old bridges, but then they took the whole track to be hidden underneath delft!
I felt like a Geoguessr Pro, although I've only cycled in that area once when I lived close by I immediately recognized it was near Delft, after which you confirmed it.
That water isn't a real canal. Its basically a drain ditch, water is pumped up (from the lower "polder" ditches) there to be pumped up elsewhere again till its dumped into a river or actual canal that can have boat traffic. Probably via the "Slinksloot" to the north of that, towards the "Vlaardingervaart" to the west of there. The water is basically also infrastructure as part of keeping the polders not under water etc.
Very weird, I've driven my bicycle on the path next to this A4 many times. Only now through your comment (and checking Maps) I have come to realise that water is actually called Slinksloot, and the path I was riding was the Slinkslootpad. The first time I came across it, it had registered in my mind as Stinkslootpad... I now feel a bit embarrassed 🤗
@@DataStorm1 Haha, that could very well be the case, or sometimes in the Autumn some waters (due to rotting leaves etc) can take smelly to the next level 🙂
the video demonstrates that the countryside is largely spared by this method of construction. On a short distance you didn't hear the cars, and the highway was not visible and could be crossed with a bicylcle on a small bridge.
This piece of highway had it's birth in 1957, when the plan for all the national highways was introduced and its build was stopped by one vote from the neighbouring city of Schiedam, by one vote in 1973. In 1992 the bureaucratic proces started back up again and a decades long back and forth went on. Eventually after more than 50 years of hassle, finally in 2013 the rest of the build started and was finished in 2016. It was supposed to cost about 650 million euros, but eventually costed almost 300 million less. The traffic load between the cities Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam has been greatly reduced, as a lot of trucks/lorries and home-work traffic from the Rotterdam harbour are now more evenly spread between more highways. And yes I remember the discussion on how to build this piece of high way vividly. I am very happy with this solution, it's basically an open tunnel where even a canal runs across the highway, so boats can cross the roads. Supercrazy solutions engineering-wise really!
1000 meters further, you have the soccer club we’re my daughter play ,Kethel Spaland. They build 4 soccer fields on that high road. Sometimes I walked whit mine dog there in the summer.
In Utrecht, they made an entire tunnel to create a suitable living area on the other side of the A2. They have literally built a cultural centre and parc on top of the tunnel (no major buildings/houses directly on top). You have no idea you are standing on top of a 2+3 lane highway each way. It's still sort of city like so it's not as green as I'd like, but it's very good! Leidsche Rijn tunnel, built before development of Leidsche Rijn, a completely new giant neighbourhood of Utrecht
Leidsche rijn living area was already pretty on the way, and the tunnel was ready for I think more as one year before it finally opened because the software for the security stuff inside the tunnel wasn't ready .. and still it is a disaster .. when there is a bit too much traffic the tunnel roads gets almost closed down and a big traffic jam starts forming on the 5 lane highway from Amsterdam to Utrecht...
@@WimvdBrink You're completely right! The tunnel was in the plan already even though they started building before the tunnel finished. And yes, the traffic flow is a disaster during peak hours. Mostly due to traffic inevitably getting stuck on Oude rijn. (from Amsterdam to Woerden, Adam to Nieuwegein and Adam to Arnhem, literally all 3 possible destinations) They do not want traffic in the tunnel so they basically move the jam farther north by closing a lane of the tunnel. It is not really the fault of the tunnel. If the lane didn't close you would have the exact same traffic jam, only this time inside the tunnel instead of infront. Keep in mind, still nothing compared to the A28 jam every peak hour in Utrecht. Besides this, focussed on the part on top of the tunnel, it's still impressive
@@OscarLT321 Did that road a lot, had to go to Zaandam from Utrecht, in the morning with almost no traffic 40 min, in the evening depending on traffic, 1 to 2 hours, and most of the time I just took the side road along the Vecht .. not much faster but more fun to drive ;-) OV would took me all in all 1.5 hours 1 way trip .. so not better as car with traffic
We pay a lot of taxes included in gasoline and again for the car but i wouldn´t want it otherwise. The roads are close to perfect and because of it safe. Often when I go abroad there are holes in the roads which causes dangerous situations when cars are trying to avoid them. Very happy paying lots of taxes.
Wat fijn dat er nog mensen zijn die het snappen! Wat dat betreft zeg ik ook altijd.. laat maar komen die belasting hahahaha. Laat mij maar 2ton loonsbelasting betalen per jaar ;-) i wish
I dont mind paying my fair share too, but that's the point, FAIR share. It really annoys me that most multinationals see us a tax-haven. They register their company here and hardly pay any taxes. I really dont like that.
@@alcidesforever No one likes that. But I guess they still have to pay for gasoline and the tax is included as well as the roadtax. But you are right those multinationals have to pay more tax but luckily they pay their people who pay taxes.
@@damarmar1001 'No one likes that' The people who created the tax lawes, with mandate from the government like it. The companies like it... Some voters like it.
@@alcidesforever i know too many voters like. I can't imagine why anyone would vote vvd d66 or cda. I am a lefty but without letting in so many so called fugitives.
One thing to consider is the water level. You're in the province of South Holland, one of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands, and roughly a third (according to Google) lies below sea level. So all these canals and ditches are to get rid of all the water, which has to be pumped out 24 hours a day, every day of the year. What could can see here is that this tunnel or ditch is below the ground water level - apart from the land most likely being below sea level. And that brings with it an entirely new set of challenges. It's impressive, though, how much the noise pollution goes up, and not to he sides.
This is crazy. I’m Dutch and once in a while I drive on this part of the A4. And I’ve always wondered why those street lights were so low. At night it even gives you the feeling you’re in a tunnel. But now, after watching this video, it makes total sense! You really have no idea there’s a highway when you’re walking in that landscape. And by the way… that wasn’t a bike patch. Just a narrow road
I don't live in this area of the Netherlands, but this seems to me as very little traffic. Increase it 4 times and it starts to be more usual for this type of highway. (Otherwise they wouldn't have made it a 3 lane both ways...) With that in mind the reason for sound reduction becomes completely rational.
For people not from here. 1:20 means that horse riders HAVE to ride there instead of any road parallel to it. It's there to keep horse feces away from the bike road, taking the fun out of biking there.
@@JustMe-sh8nd I think those paths are just soft soil and often muddy which is nice for the horses to walk over. Its much better than the hard asphalt.
@@majgloud6899 I don't care about that. I care for the horses self. Anno 2023 there is still horse riding..Why?? If you tell people when your back from holiday you did ride a camel or elefant thats not done anymore... why horse riding is still oke???
@@JustMe-sh8nd Oke in English is okay. De reden dat paardrijden nog oké is is omdat paarden het gewicht van een mens op hun rug aankunnen zonder daar last van te hebben en ze, in tegenstelling tot olifanten, geen wilde dieren meer zijn.
@@grootsChannel Ze kunnen het fysiek wel aan maar dat gaat het niet om. Heb je zelf weleens gezien hoe een paard zadelmak wordt gemaakt, ik vind dat pure mishandeling
It's a very nice stretch of highway we use several times a year to visit our friends who are living in Schiedam. I don't think they will build a similar highway in the Netherlands because the cost of this stretch of highway was far beyond the calculation they made. If they would have calculated the estimated cost more precise this stretch of highway wouldn't have been build. However calculating big projects is never precise in the Netherlands (otherwise we would not getting things done). Every time a big project is finished, the road tax and gasoline prices are increased to cover the losses.
Laughed when the truck honked because of you pointing at something else and he thought you were greeting him.
Someone standing there with a camera he thinks is for Truck photo's.
@@thijsgerhardus8672 Truckspotters unite
It is the Canadians whom started with the trucker support from bridges If someone stands stil on a road bridge we think someone is starting the ceremony with the flags. I always honk these days. It is to support the fight against our fascist wef politicians Inside coup created bij the ruling politicians Yes in holland like Justin Trudeau in Canada
@@martin_voxmartin Wow how to make it about politics martin... Ofcourse the dutch truck drivers have only started honking since they started doing this 2 years ago in Canada... right! :)
@@draregrevtaam1147 I remember when I was small, I would wave at trucks and cars on top of a bridge with my friend. We would laugh when they honked lol. Like 10 years ago
This actually isn't the main highway between The Hague and Rotterdam. It's an extension of the A4, the main highway between Amsterdam and The Hague which was needed to relieve the A13 which is the main highway between Rotterdam and The Hague.
Environmentalists and local residents have successfully managed to block the construction of this road for many years. The only way to get it accepted was to create the semi tunnel that you're looking at.
Very interesting, thanks!
That is incorrect. This road was originally planned in the sixties as part of the European road network, connecting Groningen through Amsterdam and Antwerp with Paris (E10). Resistance came from local farmers which later got hijacked by environmentalist groups. The A13 was originally a two lane road that connected The Hague with Rotterdam but as they couldn't legally finish the A4 they promoted it to become a highway and part of the E10. The inconvenient location of the A13 since then caused this road to be a major bottle neck, creating more air pollution than what the environmentalists claimed to want to prevent by blocking further development of the A4.
A section of the originally planned road still does not exist and most likely never will - you can see it on the map where the A4 splits into a East-West bound road but was meant to travel further South. Because of this the E-road still adds quite a bit of inconvenience both for the intended international traffic as well as local commuting and they are currently working to make the A13 part of an alternative fast connection towards Antwerp again. An additional issue with the road now being recessed in the ground is that it sits below groundwater level and needs to be continuously pumped which raises the groundwater level in the surrounding area and creates new problems. There was no victor here, everybody lost and you will likely disagree but so did nature.
Depends from which part of Rotterdam you come from. From the south the A4 is a logical choice to go to The Hague.
Actually, the A4 consisted of 3 separate parts before this trajectorie was built. The trajectorie shown connects between Rijswijk and Schiedam (from agglo's of The Hague and Rotterdam respectively). There is still a missing link between Hoogvliet and Klaaswaal. You can see at Klaaswaal A29 a strange situation where the two directions of the A29 diverge, there is where the A4 should connect.
@@WhoStoleMyAlias rijksweg 13 two lane? in 1930 misschien... in 40 gebruikten de duitsers em al als landingsbaan voor hun junkers... en het viaduct bij overschie dateert ook al van ver voor de 60-er jaren
You make me so proud of living here. The Dutch really get it right. I used to live in the countryside in the south of the country. Now I live in the center of the city of Eindhoven. I am constantly astounded at the quiet. Right in the middle of the city at the busiest time of day, it's relatively quiet. That has to do with all our buses being electric and many electric delivery vans. But it's also the way the city is organized so that heavy traffic doesn't come through the middle of the city. I love it here!
A very big part of sound reduction also comes from the type of asphalt that is used. ZOAB is the standard and that reduces sound by about 4dB(A) at 120kph, which reduces the perceived sound by more than half as decibels have a logarithmic curve. Nowadays two-layer ZOAB is used which cuts the sound even more with 6dB(A) which cuts down the perceived sound even more. It has some big downsides like how easily it gets damaged when it's freezing and the fact that it doesn't last as long. The pros very much outweigh the cons. As mentioned it is quieter, almost no water spray during rain and very low chance of aquaplaning. Because of the lack of spray the lining on the asphalt stays visible as well.
I live in NL and I didn't know that this made such a difference. The silence is amazing, even a 20 meters away... that's awesome!
You never biked at the countryside and suddenly approached something that made you think 'oh... there's a road here... oh it's a highway'? Because I have, a lot.
@@hagelslag9312 Grew up in the tiniest of villages, and the noisy road was a while away. and also not in a dug out road like this. I'm old. ;-)
@@SwirlingSoul Active euthanesia, sexual addictions, abortions under almost all kinds of circumstances, a huge divorce rate, huge drug trafficking, many thousands of illegal & barbaric aliens, gross violence are also part of the hypocritical Dutch society.
And that's why many people suffer daily from all kinds of sounds in their bewildered minds. So it's really quiet, but not really ...
@@SwirlingSoul People suffer daily because of their ignorance. That's why they don't have any actual quietness.
"Complain on youtube ..."? That's very comical only. I've mentioned a few simple facts, that's it. Which you clearly can't stand because of your personal sentiments.
The difference is massive indeed. You can still clearly hear the A20 highway from 3 kilometers away, while you only hear this road from about 100 meters away with similar wind conditions.
I believe the Dutch also use special low-noise asphalt on highways, this substantially reduces rolling noise, even from right in that channel with all the noise being funneled up towards you, it sounds quieter than roads like this near me from further away than that. In some areas you can hear the whoosh of tyres from a half-mile away.
Two sorts of asphalt are common in The Netherlands, DAB (dicht asfalt beton) what is the "normal" asphalt, where water can't run through but is guided to the side because of height differance. Then there is ZOAB (zeer open asfalt beton) It's open structure allows water to go through it and it will be guided to the side underneath the surface, it produce less noise because the tyre has less contact with the asphalt than with the DAB-version, and you'll need more distance when performing a emergency stop (less contact is less friction is more distance). It also produces hardly any spray when it's raining. Hope this helps
I live next to a ver busy free way but even with the windows open you here almost nothing
@@Bruintjebeer6 I was born close to highway from Zwolle to Amersfoort, when I moved, I couldn't sleep for a few months, "missing" the noise 24/7.
Now I only suffer from COPD and other lung diseases, for we have these "geluidsschermen".
Kuch
Yes correct! Zoab we call it… it is kind of porous asphalt that also stays a lot dryer, as water drains away much quicker. Makes that asphalt safer too in winter, less “ijzel”, slippery ice formation….
ZOAB deteriorates due to weather corrosion more quickly and ices up fairly badly, which are downsides that are acceptable for some Dutch roads with heavy traffic (so they need frequent maintenance anyway) and few icing days (and when those happen, lots of salt is applied to roads).
It's not necessarily great for other countries with different weather or for less used roads.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
I have to admit: I consider myself lucky to live in this country.
Have fun!
Although there are a lot serious issue that need to be fixe/delt with; I do agree with you that I wouldnt want to live any where else.
All luck is relative.
It's a bit crowded I'd say, and too many marokkanen ;)
@@janb3938 Those living here are as lucky as we are.
Except Taghi, but that is our fault, I guess...
@@worfoz report him thats racism.
You pointed to the wildlife bridge further on. But it is more than that. It is a combination of an eco duct (for wildlife) and an aqua duct (for water). It is between 70 and 80 meters wide and about half of it is water and half is land.
The water passage was needed because the new highway cut through the middle of the polder. It also cut through a main draining canal so the part of the polder on the east side of the highway could not drain any more. So this eco-aqua duct was necessary.
its weird how this is amazing to most, but for me as a Dutch person, its completely normal
Same, I laughed so hard when this was the "crazy infrastructure"
As a neighbour to this place I must say this solution is exceptional for The Netherlands because this highway extension would otherwise cut through two cities in an unacceptable manner. The stunning effect of muting down motorised vehicle noise is very convincing if you cross the bridge on a bicycle. I see this kind of motorway construction into the landscape more often applied in France 🇫🇷 than in our own country, unfortunately.
This is what Americans call humblebragging.
@@kimhill3614 The time people cared about what Americans say or do is a distant memory.
@@var67 it’s more the fact that they call this crazy infrastructure when we have stuff which is borderline insane how we built them, such as the delta works, which also seem like a normal thing to me by now.
I noticed that we seem to need these videos made by expats and/or visitors to realise how amazing and practical we are 😊. My husband keeps telling me he found this out when he came here from the UK in the early seventies of the previous century. He never left. 82 years old and still cycling 50 km in spring, summer and autumn. He even learned how to skate on “Friese doorlopers” (when we still had frozen canals).
Helemaal mee eens. We vergeten soms dat het landje waar we in leven helemaal niet zo slecht is vergeleken met andere plekken op de wereld. Zeker als het gaat om de infrastructuur. De paar keren dat ik in het buitenland ben geweest, langde ik altijd weer terug naar de fietspaden in Nederland, want die zijn zoals nergens anders. 😁
You mean immigrants?
Thank you so much for sharing this video en letting us remember how amazing it actually is.
Everybody gangsta 'til the municipality comments on a random TH-cam video
@@Jesyx yours is the most underrated comment in this whole section my friend
@@atropatene3596 No I'm not, it wasn't even that funny.
@@Jesyx You're wrong, I laughed
@@PierreDuc24 same here :-)
Funny how I stumbled upon this video. I was raised less then a kilometer away from this location. Some fun facts:
This road was planned since the 50/60’s, the part around Delft was build around 2000. The last stretch (what you see in the video) around 2015. Since the start there was a large body of sand (5 meters high roughly) which has condensed the ground significantly, so the concrete ‘tunnel’ won’t sink that easy into our wet landscape.
As kids we used this track to race with mopeds and motorcycles.
The last part of the highway (near Schiedam) is a long tunnel with buildings and parks on top of it.
Due to safety if there is a traffic jam on the other side of the tunnel, traffic is stopped before the tunnel, to prevent cars from getting stuck inside the tunnel.
People were invited to walk/bike on the highway days before official opening.
My parents still have a bit of sand commemorating the old situation in a jar.
At my parents place we can hear the trains between Delft and Rotterdam (3,5 km away), however we cannot hear traffic on this highway
These sunken highways are quite common; there’s also aquaducts (check out the Gouwe-aquaduct, over the A12 near Gouda), and numerous ecoducts, either as overpasses, or as underpasses for smaller animals. Yes, it’s expensive, but it keeps the country livable.
The A73 near Roermond is also an expensive piece of road.
The Margriettunnel might be getting a bit more expensive than first thought...
This is only about 20 minutes by bike from where I live. And I really like how a simple video shows the effectiveness of noise reduction just by lowering the highway down a little bit. You don't need a closed tunnel and all its complications.
It's less expensive than you might think. For this project the biggest cost was incurred when they had to rebuilt parts of the actual tunnel about 1 kilometer from where you're standing. Groundwater was coming up (expected) but it had a much higher salt level than expected. And some of the chosen materials needed to be replaced with others.
Thank you for visiting our country.
As part of my studies in Delft, someone from the municipality explained to us in full how the decision making process for the "A4 Midden-Delfland" went. It cost a few hundred million euros extra to make the new A4 "half verdiept" (half deep) compared to ground level, but the noise levels in the surrounding areas was unacceptable otherwise. Midden Delfland is one of the last remaining nature reserves in the area. A bit further southwards, the Ketheltunnel was constructed, again at great cost, to please the inhabitants of Schiedam. They even put sports fields on top of the tunnel and parking along the sides of the structure. I'm blessed to be learning about infrastructure planning in The Netherlands of all countries.
extremely beautiful environment such a nice looking country in the countryside
Visit Twente, I would say.........
Hey that's quite coincidental! I didn't realize how unusual underground highways can be, living in Delft/the Netherlands (even though I'm not Dutch).
What is also remarkeble about this road are the lights, they are below the surrounding land level and don't pollute the surrounding landscape with light at night.
Born in the Nederlands moved to Australia , love the way everything is set out , brings back so many memories . Thank you , it shows nature and man can live together in such small area .
Near where I grew up in Germany they had a lonely wildlife bridge across the Autobahn as well. Back then I found it mind-blowing. Now I find it mindblowing that we have thousands of kilometers of highways without such structures. Just scars in the landscape, like impassable country borders for animals. Granted, some wildlife might cross on pedestrian paths above or below the Autobahn or where there are larger bridges across valleys or tunnels. But in the flat landscape of northern Germany, there often is only one path for say deer to cross: a small pedestrian path next to a large road crossing the Autobahn. I am sure some animals are freaked out on these roads. Also imagine being a deer living in a small section of forest next to the Autobahn - without any noise protection. The toll on your brain and your lung must be unbearable.
Like Germany cannot afford bridges for wildlife over their 200km/h or unlimited speed highways! But then again, Germany does not have the population density The Netherlands have… much more nature in Germany is my impression…. More infrastructure directed at wildlife habitat would be a good idea for Germany too, I agree. One cannot have too much uninterrupted wildlife habitat…
@@Henkvanpeer Germany does not have more nature, it has more agricultural areas. For example most forests in the remot hills all over central germany are more or less monoculture forests for lumber. Come along a single problem, like drought, storm or beetles, large sections of it just die. I would love to agree that Germany has more nature, but I fear it is just more space.
@@abcdef-qk6jf I have to think of american cities, where you cannot cross many streets in the middle of the city as a pedestrian and have to walk like 1-3 km just to get to the other side of the road.
Adaptability is the greatest sign of life. G'day from Australia 🇦🇺 . Clever Dickson.
Crazy, I drove on that highway for dozens of times, while only seeing it from the car's perspective. You only see the walls! No idea all that was above there.
So this specific piece of infrastructure is the result of decades of discussions. Early plans started in the 1950s where it was planned as an ordinary highway. However, there were concerns regarding the air quality and noise pollution. The alternative would be a tunnel but this was considered too costly.
All in all, development was stalled by decades until the decision for a partial tunnel and sunken highway was made in 2009 and the project was finished in 2015.
Quite an interesting piece of infrastructure, and not only from a technical perspective.
Yes there is even wildlife crossing the bridge in the last second! Cool
Thank you for the video. I recognized the road but have never seen what is outside of the "tunnel". Very interesting. We should be proud of our country.
Shared! Love it how enthusiastic you are about our infrastructure
The kanals against the road are actually there to reduce noise-levels even further.
I drive on this road every day. You filmed it on a quiet moment actually as it usually grinds to a complete stand still during the morning and evening rush hour.
1:50 See that metal pin sticking out of the concrete ? It's a reference point for doing geometric measurements.
2:12 That truck in the background seems to have had a brake test, it left quite a trail on the road.
That highway is brilliant!!
We have sunken highways all around the Detroit area as well. The main drawback is water management, particularly during heavy storms.
Good point.. actually there are some watermanagement issues with this particular highway.
Good point!
@@Erdnav27 Yup its build in very wet lands so its always there not just in heavy storms.
Ah, but the Dutch are world champions of water management.
The green meadows you saw are about 2 to 5 meters (6.5 to 20 feet) below sea level. The water is kept artificially low otherwise The Netherlands would be under water for a few meters. And the highway is maybe even 7 meters lower, so the water level is hardly a drawback, when constructed decently that is. And the drainage of rain water is dependent on good and sufficient drains and pumps (not the high heels kind). So there is a solution for almost everything, but you’ll just have to invest and maintain. So hardly a drawback.
You should do a video on how they use bricks in urban streets to increase safety. Where my sister lives, for example, the bricks are designed so that if you exceed the speed limit the noise from the road gets very loud, to warn you. Also, the cycle lanes run beside the roads and have a different brick, so the sound changes if you venture into the lane. The road lines are built into the bricks, so that they remain reflective and visible for the life of the brick.
Well, I've never seen that anywhere, and I'm from the Netherlands. Not saying it isn't there where you sister lives, but it's not remotely the default (except almost everywhere cycle lanes on busy roads are separate and the newer ones tend to be red (but usually asphalt).
@@nagranoth_ I thought that it was common. She lives in Schijndel. I haven't been there for a few years but that's how it has been any time I visited.
@@nagranoth_ I have come across it quite often (living in Veenendaal and also having seen it in some towns in Flevoland). Although usually the entire road has the same kind of bricks because the maximum speed is low enough that usually there isn't a seperate bike lane. Where I live, lot of streets with a 15 km/h limit have them, as well as some 30 km/h roads where people have a tendency to drive too fast. The bricks used are also called 'klinkers'
@@memisemyself Lots of smaller towns and new neighborhoods in big cities around that area have that as well. It's luckily becoming more common
Makes me think of Hazerswoude, where the high speed train comes out. You'd love that one too!
We also dig out our primary schools to below ground level. This keeps the noise down from all the shootings there.
I thought I’d check this out like everyone else is doing😀. Amazing stuff!
I drove under there a ton of times, had no idea it was so quiet and green right next to it
That is really cool! Thanks for sharing.
-Duane
I drive this road from Vlaardingen to Rijswijk every day for work, I can confirm they outdid themselves on this one. For years people were protesting against this highway so the government had to improvise and make sure everyone got what they wanted, which is why they put extra effort into keeping the countryside the way it is while also getting the highway done.
I just realised Onomio has already left a comment explaining this a bit better.
And it'll probably the same when the Blankenburgtunnel is finished, don't you think? ;-) At first everybody's protesting, screeming that they will NEVER use that road... but after a while... when they're used to it... and when they see the comfort of it... ;-)
That's how they are in Vlaardingen, nietwaar? 😀
Although I am a Brit by birth and genes, I grew up in the Rotterdam area. The bit you showed us is just about the most expensive piece of road the Netherlands have. It was built to complete the Amsterdam-Antwerp cargo route (Although there is still that bit between spijkenisse and Oud-Beijerland which will probably never be built.When it's dark it seems like there's a low black roof above your head and you're all boxed in. Driven over that road more times than I can count.
Hello Paul, nice contribution, but you are a bit off. The Amsterdam-Antwerp cargo route is still far from finished. The A4-highway was extended by the part in this video, from The Hague to Rotterdam, mainportarea. Ends there. Resumes in the township of Heijningen, and then runs uninterrupted to Antwerpen.
But that incomplete part will never be built or constructed, simply because other highways like A15 and A29 have taken over its role.
@@Dirk-van-den-Berg I mentioned that bit. I lived in Spijkenisse for 15 years, I can know. I also know the people living in Maaswijk never got their promised direct A4 access. A prt further south was finished approx. 8 yuears ago. The bit between rotterdam and heijningen is the last remaining piece that was not built.
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 I lived in Spijkenisse too! North part, years 1975-1982. Close to Willemshoevelaan.
@@Dirk-van-den-Berg I worked in a computer shop from '94 to '97, shopping centre 't Plateau
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 Het Plateau was right next to my home! I lived in the house connected to the church!
Nice video. Lived here for many years. Very innovative land.
It is amazing the kind of infrastructure that can be build when you don't mindlessly build car infrastructure.
Amazing infrastrcuture while Dutch society is falling apart ...
@@rajarsi6438 klopt
@@rajarsi6438 "Society is falling apart" Okay buddy
@@rajarsi6438 "Be the change you want to see in the world". Lead by example.
@@coenogo I'm not your "buddy", ignorant & blind one.
Very nice video! There is a eco-acquaduct close by to the south, just follow the trail in the direction of Rotterdam; they ve built a bridge for the river Zweth…. Amazing infrastructure!
The bridge for the wild life is called an ecoduct
This countryside is just outside of my neighbourhood. I spend a lot of time their with my dog.
I was born in this area and lived here all my life. I’m 51 now.
It took 50 years of debating before this road was build. It’s actually quite new and it connects the A20 with the A13 and A4 to Amsterdam. The A 13 used to be the only highway to reach Amsterdam from Zeeland and basically the Southwest of Holland.
The plan was to build this road on top of the ground, bit it would cross right through urban area’s of Vlaardingen and Schiedam, two small city’s to the south of where he is standing in this clip. That’s why people blocked the construction for so long, the original beds for this road were constructed back in the 60’s. The solution was found in tunneling and building the road under ground level. To the south of where he is standing, this road goes into a long tunnel complex where those urban area’s are. On top of the tunnel and thus the road, they build a park and sporting facilities.
The only problem is the water level, they installed huge pumps that keep the tunnel free of ground water, bit if they would fail, the tunnel would fill up with water quite quickly. When you drive south emerging from this tunnel, you almost immediately go into the next tunnel, the Benelux tunnel, that crosses under the Nieuwe Waterweg and Rotterdam Harbour. Now when it’s busy and there is a traffic jam into the Benelux tunnel, the tunnel under the sport facilities etc is kept free from standing traffic. All traffic is stopped on the highway through traffic lights and dosed into the tunnel when there’s room on the other side, so nobody is stationary in the tunnel. When there would be a traffic jam allowed in the tunnel and the pumps fail, all those in the tunnel would drown in the flooding of the tunnel with ground water. So there is a traffic jam before this tunnel quite often.
I live in Vlaardingen and was just about to tell this story. Thank god you already did. Saves me time. Before the tunnel and road were build, this was an amazing place to walk our dog daily
@@karin7872 hahaha, ik ben in Vlaardingen geboren, maar de dijk is niet de enige plek die verziekt is in Vlaardingen. 😉
@@karin7872 next stop: de Broekpolder
@@deezet9518 ik vrees voor de Broekpolder. Dat zou echt verschrikkelijk zijn. Langzaam verdwijnt elk stukje groen wat nog over is. Ik herken het Vlaardingen van mijn jeugd al niet meer.
@@karin7872 ik weet er alles van. Ik speelde vroeger in de polder waar nu Holy Noord staat. Alles is dicht gebouwd.
We Dutch are higly pragmatic/ creative when it comes to infrastructure.
On average every tax Euro spent earns 3 Euro for the GDP.
Also in a high density population small country you need to be very creative to solve problems.
And yes we also hate taxes, butt when used corectly, taxes can really benefit all citizens.
Always wondered what was above the walls :-p
Not only is the noise contained, they lighting is also half as high as normal so it stays below the wall.
Welcome to the busy "Randstad* of the Netherlands. You happened to film exactly my birthplace
The Dutch worked out road planning so advanced. No other country in the world can compare. Yes others build several lanes and roundy off ramps but they have not resolved the noise factor. The Dutch have got it hands down.
Look up the N434.
I live around there and for all of my youth there was discussion about the 'RijnlandRoute'.
When they built homes there they left room for this road to come, but when you build homes somewhere, people will live there.
And people really liked the calmness off the place and didn't want a road going straight past their neighbourhood. So what did they do after years of protest?
They're building a massive tunnel as we speak underneath the north end of the municipality of Voorschoten.
And I suppose this is the one advantage of living in a tightly packed country, money for infrastructure.
its so crazy to see a random person on youtube just casually standing on the road I used to cycle to school
Wow never looked at it this way, for me it’s almost normal, makes me so proud of our dutchies. So clever! But that it was this noise cancelling, that’s so awesome. The truck honking at you lol
2:52 That wildlife crossing is only for a small part a land crossing, but mostly a canal, with a footbridge, crossing the highway as well. It's a surreal relax spot above a 6-lane highway
I wanted to go to that bridge but there was somebody relaxing there haha.
very nice. also I noticed some strange clouds in the sky above
A lot of the reason it's so quiet is because of the canal right up against the freeway. Water is a fantastic absorber of energy, sound included.
We have to build like this. The Netherlands is a small country where just way too many people live.
Another great example is the rush hour lane. There’s not enough space to build a permanent extra lane, so outside rush hours it is an emergency lane closed for traffic. During rush hours the lane is open for traffic. The lanes are monitored by cameras and a control room. If someone needs an emergency lane, the lane is immediately closed for traffic.
Or the “wisselbaan” (changing lane literally translated). Most traffic goes to the city in the morning and away from the city in the evening. So in the morning 2 extra, separated lanes are open towards the city. In the evening the direction change away from the city.
You should see the floating road at the A7 here in Friesland, we keep it down with 10.000 sand bags right now xD.
I live in delft next to the highway and it has indeed cost a fortune. Many bird species come to breed here and that is why they have protected the area by building the highway in this way.
Hi, thanks for sharing, that is really awesome, in particular for noise sensitive people (HSP's). As a nature lover I'm also a fan of wildlife bridges, in Germany they are even used by linx.
The original A4 design is the shortest route between Amsterdam and the harbors of Antwerp (Belgium). Not just Amsterdam and Rotterdam like most always think. It was never completely built, only certain pieces of it, cause that original trajectory crosses a number of "green belts" and "flora and fauna" (wildlife and birds) zones. So people have always used other trajectories for that route. Those roads have however become completely clogged up as the years went by. Those roads can't be made wider cause it crosses residential areas with buildings sometimes less than 50 meters / 45 yards from the roads. Building this particular piece (the one in your video) recessed or sunken, to avoid clashes with wildlife restrictions, was actually cheaper than elevating the existing roads and adding elevated "noise screens" for those roads. Another part of the original A4 trajectory that was also (finally) build was the piece between Haringvliet (an important junction of rivers and waterways) and Bergen op Zoom (the last major Dutch city before Antwerp +/- 13.5km / 8 miles from the border). Cause it used to just stop. Right there at the exit of a small town called Dinteloord (a town of 4000 people). Went from two lanes to one lane to an exit. In that case, they decided to swerve the road 3.5 km (2 miles) from the original trajectory, completely around the opposite side of a town it was supposed to pass on the original side, including noise screens, cause that in all was cheaper than recessing it as they did at Delft. That decision also meant demolishing already completely build and ready overpasses (build in the '70's prior to the planned road, the one that was never built) that have stood there since the '70's, right there in the middle of the green zone or a farmers' field. Invisible to anyone but the locals.
A new subscriber from the Netherlands 🌷🤘
This video deserves to go viral. Plz, algorithme, make it happen!
I run there each sunday! lovely place indeed and not far from my house :)
notice that the highway lampposts are pretty low so that you don't see them in the surrounding landscape of Midden-Delfland (especcially in the dark to avoid Lighting polution. An awesome detail. Therefore the lampposts are closer to another then normally on a Highway. Midden Delfland is a open grasland/part recreation area between Rotterdam-Schiedam Delft-The Hague- Zoetermeer and the only open landscape in this part of the dense populated area. The planning of Highway A4 between Schiedam and Delft took a really long time because a lot of people like the open landscape of Midden-Delfland. So eventually they constructed the highway below groundlevel.
I'm at 0:38 and know that road very well. So I know already what he's going to show before seeing it in this particular video and he is right! It really is amazing.
Edit: at 2:30 now and nope the A4 really was not busy at all at that moment.
An underground highway in a country side more then 12 feet below sea level. The canals are for managing the waterlevel in that area.
Thank you for noticing that and for pointing it out! Guess we Dutch are quite great at some things.
Considering the ground in the Netherlands is below sea level, does this qualify as an undersea motorway?
O yeah, but a lot of motorways in the Netherlands are below sea level. The A4 particularly. It goes through the Haarlemmermeer where Schiphol airport is located, even throught a tunnel under the airport. So there you go.
@Ouwe Brood There's also the aquaduct, where the A4 goes under the Ringvaart while not actually becoming submerged.
Hope we keep amazing you.
This is so dope ❤
More places should build like this. Come on, we have the means, let's do it properly. It works so much better like this, at least for everyone around the highway.
With cars soon to be automated anyway, people are likely going to be stating at their screens while in transit, so there is no big loss on their end either.
This road is actually very cool to drive on. Really futuristic experience, especially at night. So no loss anyways
Automated cars are still a long way off. As long as humans are in the mix, cars won't be autonomous any time soon. We are too unpredictable for narrow AI to work with or next to. And especially in dense cities, especially European and many Asian cities where streets are narrow, complex, with complicated intersections, and where cars, cyclists and pedestrians constantly mix in many different ways, cars won't be driving autonomously any time soon. It'd be extremely dangerous for anyone not in a car. AI is great for performing relatively simple tasks, limited to one field, one function, etc. Unfortunately driving is very complex, requiring constant managing of many different inputs and different systems, requires anticipation of human behaviour, requires human contact and reading of human cues and behaviour, and so on. All of which AI is currently incapable of doing, and probably will never be able to do untill it becomes sentient or near sentient. Let's not forget Tesla has been selling their driving assist as "full self driving" for almost a decade now, and has been promising fsd is coming this year or next year pretty much every year for the last 5 years as well, yet still they're nowhere near actual fsd.
The number of things we humans do subconsciously without even thinking while driving, walking, cycling etc. are immense. AI is nowhere near capable of that. It took decades and decades to get a robot to walk like a human or an animal, and then it's all that AI is capable of doing. We do it without thinking. Driving is just the same.
And all of this is not even taking into account the unpredictability of the natural environment, as recent harsh winter weather has proven. Even the best "self driving" systems can not manage in heavy snow, on deteriorated roads, on roads with bad road markings, etc without constant human intervention. No, cars won't be autonomous any time soon, believe me.
And besides that, I would not even want automated cars in my city. When I'm cycling or walking, I want to he able to look a driver in the eyes to see they have seen me, and to be able to anticipate what they will do next. Often just a glance or some eye contact is enough to know what that driver is going to do, wether or not they saw you, wether or not they're going to let you go first, and so on. All this COMPLETELY disappears with self driving autonomous cars. It'll be a disaster for all who aren't in a self driving car, and even if they became a reality soon, I think they'll be quickly banned from dense walkable cities, and I would not even be surprised if they'll never be allowed in some cities at all. It'll be like low emissions zones, we'll have "no autonomous vehicles zones", just to ensure the safety of all other road users who aren't in a car.
oh hell yeah, thats the A4 extension, that tunnel has great acoustics
Extension? In my opinion it is a missing link part. Originally the road between Amsterdam and Antwerp.
@@dikkiedik53 getting to and from Antwerp is usually not the issue, getting through Antwerp when you arrive is when the real battle starts
That is some crazy awesome Dutch road infrastructure
amazing! I'll go check it out!
Cool video on something that is not that far from my home and that I knew was there (from riding the highway myself). But I must tell you the first time I cycled up to that bridge, only the last ~20 meters I realised what was coming. It really is that quiet! It is so different from the (slightly elevated) A13 that runs parallel to it ~4 kilometers to the East, that is very present in the landscape.
Thanks fro this!
Active euthanesia, sexual addictions, abortions under almost all kinds of circumstances, a huge divorce rate, huge drug trafficking, many thousands of illegal & barbaric aliens, gross violence are also very much part of the hypocritical Dutch society.
And that's why many people suffer daily from all kinds of sounds in their bewildered minds.
So it's really quiet, but not really.
@rajarsi6438 I am in the first stages of Alzheimer's disease and boy am I glad that when the time comes I have the option to choose euthanasia. And ONLY me, myself and I can make that decision. NO ONE ELSE. In pretty much every other country I would just wither away until just an empty shell, a living corpse without a functioning brain remains. This is something no one should have to go through if he/she wants to pass away with some dignity.
Sir, ma'am, you have no clue what you are talking about.
@@chipdale490 Your nickname doesn't tell me you're a person who understands dignity. It suggests to me you're a dull headed hedonist.
And the fact is one can't artificially escape the suffering one has invited because of animalistic preferences. When you think your life ends when leaving your present body you're mistaken. It seems you haven't got a clue. But good luck with anyway with your hipster Holland megalomania.
@@rajarsi6438 Try again, and this time in English please. Artificially escape? Suffering? Animalistic preferences? It’s almost funny. Btw, if you knew me you’d know I am pretty much the complete opposite to what you call ‘hipster’. Just ask my wife and kids. ;)
@@chipdale490 My English is oke, ignorant whiner. You can't stand the simple facts and only reveal more of your childish nature, mr. Chip Dale.
did you also know they sunk the railroads of delft? the tracks used te be above ground on all these old bridges, but then they took the whole track to be hidden underneath delft!
Yeah I was there when they started doing that project! And the the tram line at TU Delft which I guess still isn't finished
I felt like a Geoguessr Pro, although I've only cycled in that area once when I lived close by I immediately recognized it was near Delft, after which you confirmed it.
As i was watching this video i was thinking there was probably a highway somewhere nearby, but i didn't expect it to be so close
didn't expect that! even though i'm from the Netherlands.
We make sure to build everything under sea level here, including highways!
Thank you for showing this.
To me this is so normal, I don’t even think about it.
This video puts it nicely in perspective. 👍🏼
You should see an aquaduct (Gouwe-aquaduct). It’s a bridge but with water. The cars are driving under the canal.
That water isn't a real canal. Its basically a drain ditch, water is pumped up (from the lower "polder" ditches) there to be pumped up elsewhere again till its dumped into a river or actual canal that can have boat traffic. Probably via the "Slinksloot" to the north of that, towards the "Vlaardingervaart" to the west of there. The water is basically also infrastructure as part of keeping the polders not under water etc.
Very weird, I've driven my bicycle on the path next to this A4 many times. Only now through your comment (and checking Maps) I have come to realise that water is actually called Slinksloot, and the path I was riding was the Slinkslootpad. The first time I came across it, it had registered in my mind as Stinkslootpad... I now feel a bit embarrassed 🤗
@@CanyonWanderer LOL It's that smelly there? Prolly from the farms that ride out cow shit over the land :P
@@DataStorm1 Haha, that could very well be the case, or sometimes in the Autumn some waters (due to rotting leaves etc) can take smelly to the next level 🙂
the video demonstrates that the countryside is largely spared by this method of construction. On a short distance you didn't hear the cars, and the highway was not visible and could be crossed with a bicylcle on a small bridge.
This piece of highway had it's birth in 1957, when the plan for all the national highways was introduced and its build was stopped by one vote from the neighbouring city of Schiedam, by one vote in 1973. In 1992 the bureaucratic proces started back up again and a decades long back and forth went on. Eventually after more than 50 years of hassle, finally in 2013 the rest of the build started and was finished in 2016. It was supposed to cost about 650 million euros, but eventually costed almost 300 million less. The traffic load between the cities Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam has been greatly reduced, as a lot of trucks/lorries and home-work traffic from the Rotterdam harbour are now more evenly spread between more highways. And yes I remember the discussion on how to build this piece of high way vividly. I am very happy with this solution, it's basically an open tunnel where even a canal runs across the highway, so boats can cross the roads. Supercrazy solutions engineering-wise really!
1000 meters further, you have the soccer club we’re my daughter play ,Kethel Spaland.
They build 4 soccer fields on that high road.
Sometimes I walked whit mine dog there in the summer.
In Utrecht, they made an entire tunnel to create a suitable living area on the other side of the A2. They have literally built a cultural centre and parc on top of the tunnel (no major buildings/houses directly on top). You have no idea you are standing on top of a 2+3 lane highway each way.
It's still sort of city like so it's not as green as I'd like, but it's very good!
Leidsche Rijn tunnel, built before development of Leidsche Rijn, a completely new giant neighbourhood of Utrecht
Leidsche rijn living area was already pretty on the way, and the tunnel was ready for I think more as one year before it finally opened because the software for the security stuff inside the tunnel wasn't ready .. and still it is a disaster .. when there is a bit too much traffic the tunnel roads gets almost closed down and a big traffic jam starts forming on the 5 lane highway from Amsterdam to Utrecht...
@@WimvdBrink You're completely right! The tunnel was in the plan already even though they started building before the tunnel finished. And yes, the traffic flow is a disaster during peak hours. Mostly due to traffic inevitably getting stuck on Oude rijn. (from Amsterdam to Woerden, Adam to Nieuwegein and Adam to Arnhem, literally all 3 possible destinations) They do not want traffic in the tunnel so they basically move the jam farther north by closing a lane of the tunnel.
It is not really the fault of the tunnel. If the lane didn't close you would have the exact same traffic jam, only this time inside the tunnel instead of infront.
Keep in mind, still nothing compared to the A28 jam every peak hour in Utrecht.
Besides this, focussed on the part on top of the tunnel, it's still impressive
@@OscarLT321 Did that road a lot, had to go to Zaandam from Utrecht, in the morning with almost no traffic 40 min, in the evening depending on traffic, 1 to 2 hours, and most of the time I just took the side road along the Vecht .. not much faster but more fun to drive ;-) OV would took me all in all 1.5 hours 1 way trip .. so not better as car with traffic
En ik heb er jaren aan meegewerkt en ben er toch wel een btje trots op ;p
You should make a video on bridges for boates (aquaduct) in the netherlands.
We pay a lot of taxes included in gasoline and again for the car but i wouldn´t want it otherwise. The roads are close to perfect and because of it safe. Often when I go abroad there are holes in the roads which causes dangerous situations when cars are trying to avoid them. Very happy paying lots of taxes.
Wat fijn dat er nog mensen zijn die het snappen! Wat dat betreft zeg ik ook altijd.. laat maar komen die belasting hahahaha.
Laat mij maar 2ton loonsbelasting betalen per jaar ;-) i wish
I dont mind paying my fair share too, but that's the point, FAIR share. It really annoys me that most multinationals see us a tax-haven. They register their company here and hardly pay any taxes. I really dont like that.
@@alcidesforever No one likes that. But I guess they still have to pay for gasoline and the tax is included as well as the roadtax. But you are right those multinationals have to pay more tax but luckily they pay their people who pay taxes.
@@damarmar1001 'No one likes that'
The people who created the tax lawes, with mandate from the government like it. The companies like it... Some voters like it.
@@alcidesforever i know too many voters like. I can't imagine why anyone would vote vvd d66 or cda. I am a lefty but without letting in so many so called fugitives.
Wow, I'm on the A4 many times and didn't know this!
You should have a look at the squirrel bridge on N44, costed around 150,000$ to build and still waiting for the first brave rodent to pass it…!
for the wildlife crossing, we call that een Ecoduct.
One thing to consider is the water level. You're in the province of South Holland, one of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands, and roughly a third (according to Google) lies below sea level. So all these canals and ditches are to get rid of all the water, which has to be pumped out 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
What could can see here is that this tunnel or ditch is below the ground water level - apart from the land most likely being below sea level. And that brings with it an entirely new set of challenges.
It's impressive, though, how much the noise pollution goes up, and not to he sides.
This is crazy. I’m Dutch and once in a while I drive on this part of the A4. And I’ve always wondered why those street lights were so low. At night it even gives you the feeling you’re in a tunnel.
But now, after watching this video, it makes total sense! You really have no idea there’s a highway when you’re walking in that landscape.
And by the way… that wasn’t a bike patch. Just a narrow road
I don't live in this area of the Netherlands, but this seems to me as very little traffic.
Increase it 4 times and it starts to be more usual for this type of highway.
(Otherwise they wouldn't have made it a 3 lane both ways...)
With that in mind the reason for sound reduction becomes completely rational.
The video was shot at a relatively quiet time, but it was designed a bit oversized on this stretch to allow for growth in traffic.
For people not from here. 1:20 means that horse riders HAVE to ride there instead of any road parallel to it. It's there to keep horse feces away from the bike road, taking the fun out of biking there.
you where there at a good time. usually i've traffic jams when i'm there
Im dutch but I was more surprised by the horse road??
The fact they still excist and horseriding is till legal.... i do not get that.. leave those animals alone and do not break them for riding
@@JustMe-sh8nd I think those paths are just soft soil and often muddy which is nice for the horses to walk over. Its much better than the hard asphalt.
@@majgloud6899 I don't care about that. I care for the horses self. Anno 2023 there is still horse riding..Why?? If you tell people when your back from holiday you did ride a camel or elefant thats not done anymore... why horse riding is still oke???
@@JustMe-sh8nd Oke in English is okay. De reden dat paardrijden nog oké is is omdat paarden het gewicht van een mens op hun rug aankunnen zonder daar last van te hebben en ze, in tegenstelling tot olifanten, geen wilde dieren meer zijn.
@@grootsChannel Ze kunnen het fysiek wel aan maar dat gaat het niet om. Heb je zelf weleens gezien hoe een paard zadelmak wordt gemaakt, ik vind dat pure mishandeling
Lovely reed warbler in the background there
Cool!
It's a very nice stretch of highway we use several times a year to visit our friends who are living in Schiedam. I don't think they will build a similar highway in the Netherlands because the cost of this stretch of highway was far beyond the calculation they made. If they would have calculated the estimated cost more precise this stretch of highway wouldn't have been build. However calculating big projects is never precise in the Netherlands (otherwise we would not getting things done). Every time a big project is finished, the road tax and gasoline prices are increased to cover the losses.
welcome to Holland! it can be scary too.....
Yeah it's exhilarating though I love it
Delft is a city - Dutch has no word for "town" only city or village.. We also build Motorways under rivers and waterways
Gehucht 😂.