The roads into and around Brussels risk being slippery this morning because of snowfall, the Flemish agency for roads and traffic has warned.
Gritters are on routine stand-by in April as in winter, the agency explained, and have been out on major roads during the night. Snowfall has been relatively light but persistent, and fresh snow falling on melting snow is a particular risk.
“We scattered 900 tons of salt, but freezing temperatures on the road surface and new precipitation mean that it can be really dangerous,” a spokesperson for the Flemish agency for roads and traffic said.
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“That new precipitation can freeze, so it becomes slippery. For anyone who has to use the road, in the car or by bicycle, we recommend you adjust your speed and keep a lot of distance from other road users.”
The proof: on the E34 viaduct over the R4 at Zelzate in East Flanders in the night, the road surface became like an ice rink, leading to a spectacular multiple collision as lorries lost control and slid into one another.
Fortunately, no major casualties resulted, although the road will be closed for some time this morning to clear up the damage.
In the meantime, the Royal Meteorological Institute has maintained its warning code yellow until later in the morning for Brussels and surrounding Flemish Brabant.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
