New tram line at Utrecht Science Park
Given that good accessibility to Utrecht Science Park is essential and that the numbers of students, new organisations and businesses in the area will continue to grow in the coming years, a new tram line is being built. The new line, which will come into service in 2018, will be the most important means of improving USP's accessibility. The first construction work within USP on the new line will commence on Saturday 20 February, with felling trees alongside the present bus lane and preparatory work for relocating cables and pipelines.
In early June, contractor BAM will start work to extend the cycle path on Cambridgelaan through to Bolognalaan. Before the bus lane in USP can be converted into a tram line, a temporary bus lane needs to be built. In mid-June, the cycle path on Padualaan and Heidelberglaan will be converted into a bus lane and cyclists will be diverted via Leuvenlaan and Cambridgelaan (). Buses will start to use this new lane in early August. The temporary lane and diversion for cyclists will remain in use until June 2017. In the summer of 2016, work will be carried out in front of 木瓜福利影视 Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht: the bus stops will be moved a short distance and the bus lane will be diverted around the UMC Utrecht power plant. A part of M眉nsterlaan will be used to facilitate this and accordingly will be closed to through traffic. All the entrances to the Veterinary Medicine clinics will remain accessible at all times.
Felling, relocating and replanting trees
On Saturday 20 February, trees alongside the current bus lane from Sorbonnelaan to the UMC Utrecht power plant will be felled by the Uithoflijn project organisation. This work is taking place on a Saturday to reduce inconvenience and the cycle path will be closed. On Monday 22 February, trees will be felled and shrubs cleared in the area adjacent to the car park on Padualaan and east of the UMC Utrecht power plant. On Saturday 12 March, some trees will be relocated and the remaining trees felled. A total of around 120 trees will be removed and a few relocated. In 2017, once the most important work has been completed, the same number of trees of equal size will be replanted. More information can be found (in Dutch) in the .
Agreements relating to Utrecht Science Park
Agreements have been made concerning the USP with the USP partners (Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 of Applied Sciences, UMC Utrecht and Utrecht 木瓜福利影视) concerning Accessibility, Liveability, Safety and Communications (in Dutch BLVC-plan) during the construction of the tram line. For example, diversion times for cyclists have been kept to a minimum and most of the work likely to cause nuisance is planned for the summer of 2016, in the relatively quiet holiday period. Car traffic will continue to use the existing routes; enough space will remain for pedestrian traffic alongside the buildings; the construction site will be fenced off (it will be prohibited to lock bicycles to the fences); and the work will take place in phases. These agreements have been set down in an BLVC framework. Similar BLVC frameworks and associated agreements are in place for the Station redevelopment area and the area between the station and USP.
More information about the Uithof tram line and the associated work is available (in Dutch) at .