Leidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn is a neighbourhood in the west of Utrecht in the central Netherlands. It consists of two parts, Leidsche Rijn and Vleuten-De Meern. The neighbourhood is expected to be completed in 2025 and will have approximately 80,000 inhabitants.
By 2007 the neighbourhoods of Veldhuizen, Parkwijk, Langerak and large parts of Terwijde were inhabited.
During construction several archeological remains were discovered. In 1997 and in 2003 Roman ships were discovered in the neighbourhood of De Balije. In 2002 and 2003 Roman watchtowers were discovered in the neighbourhoods of Vleuterweide and Het Zand.
The centre of this new neighbourhood will be situated above the Rijksweg A2 and will possibly include a few high-rise structures. There are about 35,000 people living in Leidsche Rijn as of the end of 2015 (estimate based on 80,000 inhabitants in 2025).
In 2015 Castellum Hoge Woerd opened its doors. On the spot where Romans guarded the river from a fort, now a modern interpretation of the fort with ramparts of six metres high has been built: Castellum Hoge Woerd. Behind the high walls are an archaeological museum, stables and an educational centre for nature and environmental education, a theater and a cafe-restaurant.
On May 18 2018, Leidsche Rijn Centrum opened its doors as a local shopping center for the population of Leidsche Rijn. It also has the biggest supermarket of the province Utrecht called Jumbo Foodmarkt Leidsche Rijn.
Transportation
Roads
Leidsche Rijn is connected to the old city of Utrecht via several road bridges over the Amsterdam-Rhine canal. The most important of these connecting roads are the Vleutenseweg, the Zuilense Ring and the Ds. Martin Luther Kinglaan.
Leidsche Rijn is also connected to two major highways in the Netherlands: The A12 [The Hague - Germany] and the A2 [Amsterdam - Maastricht]. The A2 highway, a major barrier between the old city and Leidsche Rijn, is currently under reconstruction. A new tunnel is being built for the road section between the Utrecht - The Hague railroad and the Leidsche Rijn river in order to take this barrier away.
Rail connections
Leidsche Rijn currently has three train stations: Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht Terwijde and Vleuten. All stations are serviced at least twice an hour, with Utrecht Terwijde and Vleuten being serviced every 15 minutes during workdays.
