Haaksbergen Eibergsestraat

The Haaksbergen local authority is responsible for the drainage of rainwater in the urban area. At present the sewage system is largely mixed. As a result, almost all the rainwater is drained via the sewage purification plant into the system of brooks north of Haaksbergen, outside the built-up area. This means that the rainwater has no chance to infiltrate at the location where it falls down.

The local authority would like to drain the rainwater above ground level and infiltrate locally, but this is such an expensive operation that it can only be implemented in stages and over a long period. The Eibergsestraat is one of the first locations to be tackled. It lies in the centre of Haaksbergen and has a serious water problem. After a heavy shower the street is flooded at several locations because the drainage system is overloaded. The street is also due for improvement in terms of traffic and urban design. As the street is very wide, traffic often passes through it at high speed. The ambition is to replace the stony appearance of the street with more green and shade. The Eibergsestraat is thus the designated spot to take an integral view of the water problem instead of a sectoral one.

With the secondary elaboration ‘Eibergsestraat’, Strootman has explored and outlined how we can tackle the water problem in combination with taking advantage of the opportunities and ambitions to improve the traffic safety, spatial quality and atmosphere of the street. In close consultation with the local authority and neighbourhood council, a range of integral solution directions (building blocks) has been drawn up to serve as the basis for future developments in the Eibergsestraat. They also serve as a source of inspiration for the other radians in Haaksbergen and for the solution of hydrological problems in urban centres.