Works will soon start to improve the safety and liveability of the Bascule area in Uccle, a neighbourhood which is currently notorious for being dangerous for all traffic users.
Every two years, Brussels Mobility monitors 'Zones of Accident Concentration' (ZACAs), dangerous crossings and roundabouts, and proposes improvements to resolve road safety problems in the short term. On Monday 21 August, work will start at the Bascule to the accident-prone junction between Chaussée de Waterloo, Chaussée de Vleurgat and Avenue Molière, located above Bois de la Cambre.
"At present, this junction is dangerous for all road users, inefficient and not very user-friendly," said Elke Van den Brandt, Brussels Minister for Mobility. The councils of both Uccle and neighbouring Ixelles had been calling for this area to be improved for several years.
"The works will make it easier for pedestrians and people with reduced mobility to cross, more pleasant for local residents (less asphalt, more planting) and more attractive for traders."
Concrete changes
As part of the reconstruction, the pavements will be widened and the pedestrian crossings shortened, reducing crossing times as a result.
This will also allow local traders to expand their terraces, and the wider pavements will also create space for people to park their bikes. The pedestrian space will also be made greener with low-growing plants.
Brussels Mobility explained that the junction will be "clearer, safer and smoother" following the works. The new layout will also make it easier for the buses of Flemish transport company De Lijn and its Walloon counterpart TEC to get through, specifically on the left turn into the Chaussée de Waterloo from the Bascule.
Plans for the improvement of Bascule. Credit: Brussels Mobility
"Improving road safety and the quality of the public space will certainly contribute to the revival of the crossroads, thanks in particular to the Lebanese delicatessen, the bakery, the restaurants, bars and cafés and the art galleries that are creating a great cultural and commercial dynamic," Deputy Mayor for Mobility in Ixelles, Yves Rouyet, said.
The works will be carried out in phases, with minimal impact on traffic, and will be completed in November. As these are temporary works, Brussels Mobility added that the junction will be completely resurfaced in spring 2024.
In 2022, 55 new ZACAs were identified, including seven on municipal roads and 48 on regional roads; Brussels Mobility has already improved the safety of eight of these. The others will be worked on between now and the end of 2025, including Place Stéphanie, the Chaussée de Mons/Clémenceau junction, the Général Jacques/Boulevard de la Plaine junction, the Avenue de la Couronne/Germoir junction.
