Published on: January 14, 2026, 10:00 AM
In early February 2026, BAM Infra Nederland, commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat, will start installing approximately 70 km of guardrails along the A37. A guardrail, sometimes also called a crash barrier, is a roadside barrier.
These works are a preparation for the Drenthe Solar Route A37 and thus the first visible activity of this project. The initiators of the Drenthe Solar Route A37 are working on plans for a solar park along the A37.
Safety first
If a developer is going to realize a solar park along the A37, guardrails must be installed. This ensures the safety of road users and protects the future solar park. People can also work safely behind the guardrails during the installation and maintenance of the solar panels.
Work and inconvenience
BAM Infra Nederland installs the guardrails on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat. The work starts in February 2026 and will be completed by autumn 2026 at the latest. We limit the inconvenience for road users.
The speed at the work site will be reduced, but the number of lanes remains the same. Current information about traffic measures can be found on the project page A37: installing guardrails. Nearby residents of the A37 will receive a letter with more information about the work.
Where will the guardrails be?
The A37 runs from the Alteveer viaduct near Hoogeveen to the German border near Zwartemeer, a stretch of 42 km. We place guardrails where solar panels will be installed and where there are currently no guardrails. For example, in the median between Hoogeveen and Holsloot.
We also repair existing guardrails due to updated guidelines. This way, we do not have to work multiple times along the A37. This causes less traffic inconvenience and costs less money.
The Drenthe Solar Route
In the Drenthe Solar Route A37 project, the initiators are working on plans for a solar park along the A37. The solar panels will be placed mostly in junctions and in the side and median verges. The route is expected to generate approximately 170 GWh of solar energy annually. That is enough electricity for about 50,000 households.
The joint initiators of the project are the province of Drenthe, the municipalities of Hoogeveen, Emmen and Coevorden, the grid operators Enexis Netbeheer and RENDO, the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, Rijkswaterstaat and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
The pilot project is included in the OER program commissioned by the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth.
Next steps
The initiators of the Drenthe Solar Route A37 are preparing the tender for the solar park. This will probably start in 2026.