Roadwork at the Léonard junction just outside Brussels has long been causing disruption. On Monday, the project is entering a new phase, which will add to the bottleneck. For those who want to avoid traffic jams, measures are being taken.
The Leonard Tunnel is one of the main motorway access points in Brussels, where the E411 motorway and the Brussels Ring Road (R0) meet. Renovation work has been ongoing for around two years, causing considerable disruption around the Vierarmen in Tervuren. The works will enter a new phase on Monday 3 March, tackling the major renovation of the E411 tunnel under the Leonard intersection.
From the start of the work, the two driving directions (Namur/Brussels) of the E411 will have to pass through a single sleeve of the tunnel. This will lead to even more disruption on the E411, especially during the morning rush hour towards Brussels. The Flemish Traffic Centre advises commuters to avoid the E411 towards Brussels in the morning if possible.
Meanwhile, on the Brussels ring road, the situation will improve as the inner ring road tube will reopen on Saturday. From then onwards, works in the tunnels of the Brussels ring road will only take place in the evening and at night. The works in the two tunnels (E411 and R0) are expected to be completely finished by the end of 2025.
More trains and cheaper parking
In light of the expected increase in traffic jams, national railway operator SNCB is putting on more trains between Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels during peak hours. "To ensure the comfort of its passengers, the SNCB will increase the capacity of four S8 trains running during peak hours (two in the morning and two in the evening) between Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels from Monday 3 March," spokesperson Tom Guillaume said.
This will increase the capacity by 560 seats, both in the morning and in the evening. The trains will stop in Ottignies, Profondsart, Rixensart, Genval, La Hulpe, Hoeilaart, Groenendaal, Boitsfort, Watermael, Etterbeek, Bruxelles-Luxembourg, Bruxelles-Schuman, Bruxelles-Nord, Bruxelles-Central and Bruxelles-Midi.
Aerial drone picture of the construction site for the renovation of the tunnel underneath the Carrefour Leonard situated between Tervuren and Auderghem, April 2024. Credit: Belga
The stations of Namur, Gembloux and Ottignies, located on line 161, are already served by three IC trains per hour to and from Brussels. In addition, three S trains (suburban trains) run every hour between Ottignies and Brussels during peak hours, two of which run from Louvain-la-Neuve. In total, three S trains per hour connect Louvain-la-Neuve station to Brussels (one of which connects at Ottignies with an IC train) during peak hours.
However, SNCB has warned passengers that train traffic will be disrupted due to work on line 161 between Brussels and Ottignies from 26 April to 4 May. "Two out of three IC trains will run between Ottignies and Brussels (via Leuven) and the third connection will be cancelled between Gembloux and Brussels. The S trains will be replaced by buses between Ottignies and Brussels-Luxembourg."
Finally, people who take the train instead of their car will only have to pay a daily rate of €1 at the car park at Louvain-la-Neuve station, with a capacity of more than 700 spaces. "Travellers with a valid transport ticket will automatically benefit from this reduced rate by scanning their Mobib card or their transport ticket."
