“Strijps bultje” to make way for tunnel

The well-known Strijps Bultje on Beukenlaan in the Strijp district will disappear in the coming years. The municipality plans to replace the viaduct with a short tunnel. For now, Eindhoven sees no possibilities for housing on or around this new tunnel.

The viaduct, nicknamed Strijps Bultje by locals for decades, underwent partial renovation a few years ago. Nevertheless, the 1960s structure is nearing the end of its technical lifespan, according to earlier municipal assessments.

In the Ring Road improvement plan, approved by the city council this year, the Strijps Bultje is listed as one of the bottlenecks to be addressed. A preliminary study into possible alternatives was already underway.

In a recent letter to the council, the mayor and aldermen expressed their preference for replacing it with a short tunnel. The detailed plan is currently being developed. At the same time, the municipality is investigating whether Achtseweg-Zuid could be directly connected to the Ring Road.

At the council’s request, the municipality also explored whether tunnelling part of Beukenlaan could create space for housing on or near the new tunnel. However, an initial feasibility study concluded that this would be highly complex and costly.

Not a viable option
“Building housing on top of a tunnel is technically complicated and financially unattractive,” the municipal executive writes. Moreover, the site borders Strijp-T, which is being further developed as a business park.

In the longer term – possibly in about fifteen years – housing along Beukenlaan may still be an option. This would, however, require major interventions, such as relocating the combined heat and power plant and the high-pressure gas pipeline on Strijp-T.