AALTEN — “In Europe — towards Europe — from Europe”, read the words on the entrance gates to the new Hamaland Route, the north–south bypass around Aalten, which the Queen’s Commissioner in Gelderland, H.W. Bloemers, officially opened yesterday afternoon. A large road map had also been painted to emphasise the importance of the Hamaland Route for international traffic. Bloemers was given the honour of ingeniously ‘cranking’ the entrance gates open.
An important new connection
A long procession of cars carrying many guests then travelled along the new road almost as far as the border before returning to Aalten, where the opening ceremony continued at the Sociëteit. Among the guests were provincial executive member H.M. Oldenhof, Mayor F.J. Waals and Alderman Th.B. Hulshof of Lichtenvoorde, Oberstadtdirektor Gillen of Bocholt, Gelderse Tramwegen director A.H. Robbé Groskamp, SSOG director K.F. Broekers, and almost the entire Aalten municipal executive.
„Dommen Aanleg”
Earlier, the party had travelled from the Heurne–Hemden border crossing along the old route through Aalten, which was still festively decorated for the royal wedding, to Dommen Aanleg. “Never has that name been more appropriate,” H.J. Kempers remarked later at the Sociëteit, “than now, where the new road ends and Lichtenvoorde can only be reached by the old route, which has long ceased to meet the demands of modern traffic.” Mayor E.S. van Veen of Aalten added that the intention of the occasion had not been to show his guests what was still unfinished. The connection to the Twenthe Route had already been promised by higher authorities and was expected to be completed in 1967. Van Veen therefore suggested to his colleague in Lichtenvoorde that the celebrations might continue there when that happened.
Improved access
He also thanked the provincial authorities for reversing their original decision to make the new eight-kilometre road a motorway. As a result, the Hamaland Route now provides an important new connection for Aalten, a municipality not exactly spoiled for roads. The north–south link had now been created; what remained was the long-cherished wish for an east–west connection from Winterswijk via Aalten to Doetinchem.
Symbolic
The Queen’s Commissioner described the new road as a tribute to the old route along which the party had travelled that afternoon. Aalten’s narrow streets had ultimately been forced to carry an almost unbearable load and seemed to shrink beneath modern traffic. Now that they could return to their former local function, they would once again contribute to Aalten’s charm. As for the new road, the name Hamaland Route was symbolic. The ancient Hamaland had a legendary, almost mythical resonance in this region — a name charged with associations and therefore with expectations for the future.
Significance
Oberstadtdirektor Gillen of Bocholt considered the new road highly significant for the border region, which had shared interests on both the German and Dutch sides. The work of the SOG, the TOG and the Interessengemeinschaft Rhein-Ems, which until then had so often seemed mainly theoretical, had now found practical expression in this new road.
Aalten councillor H.J. Kempers, speaking among others on behalf of Aaltens Belang, agreed with Mayor Van Veen that completing the desired east–west route would further improve access to the region. He did wonder, however, whether the planned four-lane design might delay its early realisation. He also expressed the hope that, now the new road was a reality, border facilities would be expanded, particularly for customs clearance of goods at the Heurne–Hemden crossing. This brought him back to a long-standing but so far unsuccessful request: keeping the border crossing open day and night.
Finally, Mayor F.J. Waals of Lichtenvoorde congratulated his Aalten colleague and announced that all the land required for the continuation of the new road through the municipality of Lichtenvoorde had now been acquired. Construction of the road embankment was due to begin later that year.