The Brussels Ring Road and several slip roads will be closed in both directions on Saturday night to allow for a bridge to be demolished. Motorists have been called on to avoid the western ring road.
The Vlasmarktdreef bridge over the Brussels Ring Road in Halle will be taken down during the night from Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 June, the Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer) announced on Friday. As a result, the ring road will be closed between the Halle and Ittre interchange roads in both directions from 21:00 to 09:00.
"The Western Ring Road (R0) will be completely interrupted overnight," the agency wrote on its website. The Traffic Centre recommends avoiding the Western Ring Road and the area around the A8.
Motorists who need to use the Brussels Ring during the closure have been advised to take the other side of the ring road via Zaventem, Tervuren and Waterloo to get to their destination.
Navigating the closure
For local traffic, some roads will still be open at the Halle slip road, the Woutersbrakel/Tubeke slip road and the interchange between the Brussels ring road and the E19.
Traffic from Tournai towards Brussels and vice versa will remain possible, but traffic in the direction of Ittre/Charleroi will not. To ensure maximum flow on the A8, Halleweg will be closed off from the A8. Local traffic (including bikes and pedestrians) will be asked to follow a diversion via the Nijvelsesteenweg (N28).
The new bridge will be a combination of a wide unpaved green area for animals and a cycling and walking path. Credit: Roads & Traffic Agency
The closure of the entrance and exit 22 will still allow local traffic in the direction of Ittre, but traffic coming from Brussels or Ittre/Charleroi cannot pass through. Finally, the R0/E19 Haut-Ittre Interchange closure will block traffic towards Brussels, but traffic from Charleroi towards Waterloo and vice versa can still pass.
Construction of the new Hallerbos ecoduct will follow in a second phase. This will increase the habitat of animals in the Hallerbos (known for its bluebells ) by making it easier for them to cross the Brussels Ring.
The bridge will be a combination of a wide unpaved green area for animals (60 metres), with a cycling and walking path (5 metres) next to it, so cyclists and walkers to cross the Ring Road safely.
