The construction of a new ecoduct over the Brussels Ring Road in the Hallerbos will start in the course of next year, the Agency for Nature and Forests announced on Thursday.
The new ecoduct, which will allow not only animals but also pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Brussels Ring Road, will replace the bridge that is currently in place there.
At the spot where the ecoduct will be, there is currently an ordinary bridge connecting the two sides of the Hallerbos. The Hallerbos totals over 622 hectares and is home to at least 275 animal species. What is striking in the forest is the large difference in the number of species between the two sides of the Ring Road.
Thanks to the new ecoduct, animals will be able to move safely between the two sides and their habitat will expand.
The new structure will be 65 metres wide in total. A five-metre strip will accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, while the remaining 60 metres is intended as a crossing point for the animals. Earthen barriers nearly three metres high should ensure that the animals suffer little inconvenience from road traffic on the Ring Road.
Plan in action
The environmental permit for the project was recently delivered. The public tender was issued in early August. A suitable contractor should be found this autumn.
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As the breeding season between April and the end of June next year is also taken into account, the works might be able to start after the 2023 construction holidays.
According to the current schedule, the ecoduct will be ready for use in 2025 and will be the seventh in Flanders.
