Armored personnel carriers share the road with cyclists and strollers. The military will now close access for locals.

Armored personnel carriers share the road with cyclists and strollers. The military will now close access for locals

More soldiers and heavy vehicles at Ryes Barracks make it too dangerous to share the asphalt, the military says.

Up to 30-ton Piranha vehicles share the road today with cyclists, strollers, and dog walkers. (Photo: Føringsstøtteregimentet/Defense) 20 minutes ago

Every day, cyclists, dogs are walked, and strollers are pushed along a road through a picturesque natural area right next to Ryes Barracks in Fredericia.

The road is a very popular route from the city center and northward towards the beaches at Trelde.

But the military also uses the road to practice driving armored personnel carriers, Piranhas, which weigh up to 30 tons and are hard to see for the driver.

As the military prepares to mobilize, more conscripts will also be at Ryes Barracks. They will practice driving the heavy vehicles, and it requires more safety.

Therefore, the military has requested Fredericia Municipality to close the private shared road, so that only the military and not civilians can use it.

But it would be annoying, says Karina Vaupell.

She often walks in the picturesque area, and her children cycle the road when they visit friends.

- And we often feel that it is safer for them to cycle through here rather than having to go out on the main roads. So it will have a meaning for the children, but also for our walks, she says.

* Karina Vaupell often walks on the road near Ryes Barracks. She is annoyed that the military will close the road to the public. But she can understand that it may be necessary due to safety concerns. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR)

* Frede Jørgensen has lived there for more than 50 years, and several times a week he cycles along Ryes Barracks. - It's annoying if it closes, but the development is going that way when we need more defense in Denmark. But there's nothing to do about it, really. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR)

* Major and staff officer Peter Vexø from Ryes Barracks is glad that people in Fredericia use the road. But sometimes the civilians are not behind the barriers when there are exercises. And it becomes an even bigger problem when there are more exercises, he says. - There have been some incidents where those who have used the road have been a little reckless in relation to the civilian guests. And that's why we want to get the road inside the fence. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR)

* When there are exercises, the road is fenced off here. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR)

1 / 4 Karina Vaupell often walks on the road near Ryes Barracks. She is annoyed that the military will close the road to the public. But she can understand that it may be necessary due to safety concerns. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR) 1 / 4 Frede Jørgensen has lived there for more than 50 years, and several times a week he cycles along Ryes Barracks. - It's annoying if it closes, but the development is going that way when we need more defense in Denmark. But there's nothing to do about it, really. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR) 2 / 4 Major and staff officer Peter Vexø from Ryes Barracks is glad that people in Fredericia use the road. But sometimes the civilians are not behind the barriers when there are exercises. And it becomes an even bigger problem when there are more exercises, he says. - There have been some incidents where those who have used the road have been a little reckless in relation to the civilian guests. And that's why we want to get the road inside the fence. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR) 3 / 4 Nearing exercises, the road is fenced off here. (Photo: Morten Schmidt Klemmensen - DR) 4 / 4

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Some disregard when there are exercises

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Major and staff officer Peter Vexø from Ryes Barracks is glad that people in Fredericia use the road.

But sometimes the civilians are not behind the barriers when there are exercises. And it becomes an even bigger problem when more soldiers practice driving the Piranhas.

- There have been some incidents where those who have used the road have been a little reckless in relation to the civilian guests. And that's why we want to get the road inside the fence, he says.

Closing the road will make it safer for the conscripts to practice driving the vehicles.

And it is of course not in order if people do not keep their distance when there are exercises, says Karina Vaupell.

- I can understand that if people do not respect it, that they may be forced to do so, she says.

Also read: Troels Lund Poulsen lifts the veil for new plans: Long conscription starts earlier than planned (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/troels-lund-poulsen-loefter-sloeret-nye-planer-lang-vaernepligt-starter-endnu-tidligere-end-planlagt)

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Proposes an alternative road

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Ryes Barracks will not exclude the residents of Fredericia from using the picturesque area, underscores Peter Vexø.

- We are happy with the good cooperation we have with them.

And that's why the military has proposed creating an alternative path next to the existing road.

But an inspection shows that the area is protected nature. And Fredericia Municipality evaluates whether it can be a challenge to achieve this.

According to department manager Jes Bøgelund from Fredericia Municipality, the military has the possibility to waive the nature protection with reference to important national considerations.

In addition, he writes to DR that it has not yet been decided whether the case will be handled politically and in a public hearing. In addition to the path, the municipality is considering whether there can be found another route to replace the road that is wanted to be closed to the public.

Also read: Old military town prepares to mobilize: Local businesses prepare to renovate and expand the barracks (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/gammel-militaerby-opruster-lokale-virksomheder-goer-sig-klar-til-renovere-og-udbygge)

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Fence from the 50s should be replaced

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In addition to closing the road, the military also wants higher fences in some places at the barracks.

- Some places mark the fence only as an administrative boundary. There we need to increase security, especially in relation to the upcoming expansions, we have, says Peter Vexø.

According to the major, it is not yet decided where the barracks will be expanded.

But he expects to go from 100 to up to 400 conscripts, because they will be at the barracks for 11 months.

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