An informed motorist is worth two. Substantial projects will take place in the coming months on the Brussels Ring: nine interventions with a direct impact on the ring road are planned during the course of 2023, we learn via the Flemish administration Wegen en Verkeer. Two weekends of work, or long months of work, small or large embarrassments… the road signs are out and Brussels residents and commuters will have to take the trouble patiently.
Two bridge renovations in Halle
In Halle, two major interventions affecting bridges are planned on the ring road from May, but with moderate implications for traffic. The current Vlasmarktdreef bridge on the Walloon border will be transformed into a “ecoduct”: a tree-lined infrastructure that will only be accessible by pedestrians and cyclists, and should encourage the movement of wildlife in the Bois de Hal, cut by the Ring. These vast works, which also involve the demolition of the existing bridge, should be completed in 2025. A night of complete closure of the Ring is planned for a weekend in June.
Start of construction work on an ecoduct on the Brussels ring road in Halle: end of construction planned for 2025
Three kilometers further north, still in Hal, the Drasop bridge will be destroyed and replaced. In August 2019, an accident involving a truck weakened the structure and the infrastructure has been closed to traffic since then. The future bridge will allow the resumption of automobile traffic, via a single strip governed by traffic lights. Scheduled end for “as soon as possible” summer 2024.
The tunnels of the Léonard crossroads under construction
Major interventions planned in the aging tunnels of the Léonard crossroads, at the intersection of the Ring and the E411. From April 17 until 2024, for renovation reasons, the underground passages will be closed, alternately, at night and traffic will therefore be diverted to the surface. Two closures during the weekends are still to be defined.
At the Groenendaal crossroads, a major construction site is still underway until the end of 2023 for the creation of the “De Priorij eco-recreation pipeline”. With a view to reducing the natural border of the Ring and making Groenendaal a “hub” for visiting the Sonian Forest, Flanders is building a vast green bridge along the railway line, which will connect the station to the forest, overlooking the Ring. The circulation of the perimeter therefore remains hindered, and will be even more so from April 28 to May 1 and from May 27 to 29, for the actual installation of the new infrastructure.
The works at the Hoeilaart exit and the Willerieken drive are nearing completion. The cycle tunnel should be operational in the spring. Access to the Ring via the Drève de Willerieken will remain permanently closed, following Overijse’s decision to limit transit traffic. And this despite the objections of the municipality of Hoeilaart.
Access to the Brussels Ring condemned in Overijse: “We have always said that we are against it”, deplores Hoeilaart, fearing a postponement of traffic
A repair of the viaduct
The most impressive work of art on the Ring, the Vilvoorde viaduct will receive a facelift after the summer. Currently, few details about the progress of the work and the disruptions. In any case, the site promises to be as titanic as the viaduct: six years for an in-depth renovation of the bridge culminating at 35 meters, with the program of asbestos removal and reinforcement of the structure. With a budget estimated last year at 250 million euros, but which – given the increase in prices – should be significantly increased.
The large-scale renovation of the Vilvoorde viaduct postponed to 2023: the construction site should last around six years
In Zaventem, the interchange at avenue Henneau is continuing its redevelopment throughout the year until May 2024. The lanes will therefore remain narrowed for many more months. In addition, there are closures during the installation of the new bridge during the weekends of June 9 to 11, and June 16 to 18.
Several joint renewal operations are also planned, with limited embarrassment. This will be the case for two weekends in May at the Grand-Bigard interchange. Ditto at the Woluwe-Saint-Étienne interchange. Three nights of severe disturbances are planned: from April 29 to 30, from May 6 to 7 and from May 13 to 14, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Other interventions, with a more moderate impact, will continue in the summer.
Brussels Mobility confirms that no major works are planned on the Brussels sections of the Ring. Also note: the creation of a cycle bridge above the Quatre-Bras crossroads in Tervuren. Work begins this March and will last until 2024, with disruptions on Avenue de Tervueren.