Berenkuil (traffic)


A berenkuil is a type of traffic circle found in the Netherlands. In this construction, automotive traffic is directed around a raised outer circle. This leaves a sunken open space in the center of the circle which is used for bicycle paths.
Perhaps the first berenkuil, and the one that gives its name to this type of circle, is the one in Utrecht, built in 1944. There are several theories for the origin of its name, including the possibility that an actual bear pit was located there, or that it was named in honor of the British 49th Infantry Division, nicknamed the polar bears, who liberated Utrecht from the Nazis.

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