This summer, cars will be allowed to drive through a large part of the Bois de la Cambre in Brussels again, but most of the green zone will become completely car-free from September.
The forest became completely car-free during the coronavirus crisis, but cars will be allowed on the roads again over the summer. "We are taking advantage of the summer to carry out infrastructural interventions," said Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt.
Vanaf 1/09 wordt TerKamerenbos voor 80% autovrij. En dat is dan definitief.
Enkel op Dianalaan is autoverkeer dan toegestaan om bereikbaarheid ziekenhuis te garanderen. Het duurt nog even door aanpassingswerken. Intussen wel al 50% open voor ???♀️. Nog even geduld dus!? pic.twitter.com/B1gOlcsRG6 — Elke Van den Brandt (@elkevdbrandt) May 27, 2020
From Thursday, cars will be able to drive through the northern part of the Bois de la Cambre again, but only during the summer months of June, July and August.
In this period, the Avenue du Panorama, Avenue de la Sapinière and Avenue de Boitsfort around the pond, however, will remain closed to cars. Additionally, the entire forest will be closed to cars on Sundays.
From September, about 80% of the roads in the forest will only be accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, according to Van den Brandt and Brussels alderman for Mobility, Bart Dhondt.
The only roads that will remain open to cars after the summer are parts of the Avenue de Diane and the Avenue de la Belle Alliance, in both directions. "[This way] we can guarantee the accessibility of the hospital," said Dhondt.
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Keeping the forest closed over the summer as well was not an option, according to Van den Brandt. "In order for the circulation around the forest to run smoothly, adaptation works are needed. Those will be carried out in the summer," her cabinet said.
In practice, this means that the intersections on the roads around the Bois de la Cambre, such as the Chaussée de Waterloo and the Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, will be adapted to guarantee a smoother car traffic flow.
Parking facilities for local businesses will be installed after the summer as well, as will a camera with licence plate recognition to monitor the car ban.
As for STIB bus 41, it will continue to run along its usual route on the Avenue de Boitsfort, but only on workdays.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
