Dear residents and interested parties,
This newsletter’s topics:
1. Carnival
2. Citizens’ budget result regarding the Star Chamber
3. Results Centre Survey
4. Closure Basin Bridge
1. Carnival
This weekend is all about carnival. The city centre is already shrouded in the distinctive colours of roed, yellow and greun. From Sunday, three days of festivities will follow in the city centre and far beyond. Once again, rules have been drawn up to keep the party-goers on their toes. For example, Platielstraat will be one-way. During vastelaovend, Platielstraat can only be accessed from Vrijthof; Leliestraat and Sporenstraat will also become one-way streets. People can follow the crowds in the city centre via an interactive map available from 28 February.
New this year are the obligatory hard cups, specially designed for the Maastricht vastelaovend by Anouk Grootjans. These cost €1 and can be reused during carnival.
In addition, carnival revellers with carts must follow specific rules. Carts with sound systems already had to report to the municipality.
Furthermore, it was also reported about a temporary closure for car traffic in the city centre during Carnival: So-called barriers will be placed on various streets in the city centre during these days. These temporary closures for car traffic should ensure that the inner city is and remains car-free during the carnival days. We are doing this for safety reasons to keep the traffic flowing as much as possible. The barriers will be closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday between 3pm and 3am. Or as much earlier as necessary, given the crowds. Barriers may also be closed on Fridays, depending on the number of people going into the city that day. For emergency services and in cases of emergency, the barriers may be opened. The streets will, of course, remain accessible to the pedestrians.
Wastepaper and residual bags will also be collected on Ash Wednesday. To minimise inconvenience, it is best to put these out only on Wednesday morning instead of Tuesday evening.
More information on measures during Carnival is available on the municipality’s website.
2. Citizens’ budget results regarding the Star Hall
The board of the Stichting Exploitatie Gebouw Ster der Toekomst (the Star Hall, formerly known as the Berghmans) thanks everyone for supporting their project. The result was above expectations: project 1017 to future-proof the Star Hall was fully approved by the voting members. The board will implement this project in the 200th anniversary year of the Koninklijke Harmonie Ster van Maastricht.
Project 1029 (musical instruments for primary school lessons), submitted by the Royal Maastricht Harmony, also received sufficient votes to be implemented. The board warmly thanks all participants for their contribution to this success.
In addition, the neighbourhood network, together with the board of the Sterzaal, will investigate whether a coffee room for residents can be realised with the allocated budget.
3. Centre survey
The results of the centre survey are still pending. The results are expected in mid-April. Inner city residents, students and entrepreneurs who participated and left their e-mail address will receive the results by e-mail. The results will also be published on the centremaastricht.nl website and the neighbourhood network.
4. Bassin bridge closure
From Wednesday 26 March 2025 to Friday 04 April 2025 maintenance work will be carried out on the Bassinbrug and the intersection Maasboulevard/Maastrichter Grachtstraat. During this period, Maasboulevard (including Bassinbrug) between Boschstraat and Maastrichter Grachtstraat will be completely closed to all road users.
Buses will travel via Gubbelstraat, Markt, Boschstraat and Maagdendries. Other traffic will be diverted and will no longer be allowed to drive through Gubbelstraat. During Wednesday and Friday markets, buses will drive via Noorderbrug. More information can be found at www.arriva.nl or www.delijn.be.
Attached is the residents’ letter with more information.
We wish everyone a pleasant Carnival and spring break.
Kind regards,
The board of the City Centre Neighbourhood Network,
Bèr Prevot
Khanny Jongen
Frans Hermans
Marco Maessen
This has been translated with DeepL