Brussels Minister for Mobility Elke Van den Brandt revealed the projects STIB has planned for the next two years after being asked a question by fellow Brussels MP Bianca Debaets. The plans include the commencement of the construction of tram line 10 which will join Neder-Over-Heembeek to Rogier.
STIB developed the Avanti action plan 2016-2025 to solve the issues concerning the service speed on the surface network. The plan highlights priority lines needing to be addressed, as well as a set of measures that need to be taken to obtain measurable results. The suggestions made are adapted to local situations, such as adaptations to traffic lights.
STIB and Brussels Mobility will soon start the construction site for tram line 10 and commissioning is scheduled for autumn 2024. The new tram line 10 is planned to be 5.5 kilometres long, have 10 new stops and make possible a fast and efficient connection between the districts of Neder-Over-Heembeek and Brussels centre.
Planned projects 2023-2024
Some other revealed plans within the Avanti project are for Rue Wayez in Anderlecht, the Thomas tunnel on Avenue de la Reine in Schaerbeek, and Rue Léon Théodor in Jette.
Between 2019 and 2022, 23 projects within the Avanti project had already been undertaken. In total, €14 million were paid out in 2019, €12 million in 2020 and €18.5 million in 2021, according to a ministerial response.
La Dernière Heure mentioned various projects that are in different stages of completion. A permit to create a partial contraflow for bus line 53 and cyclists has been submitted for the Rue Léopold I, on the border of Jette and Laeken, between Rue Delva and Boulevard de Smet de Naeyer.
In Anderlecht, work is planned in Cureghem in parallel with the redesign of the Mons road and its partial one-way traffic. Emile Vandervelde Square will become a multimodal hub, with work expected to start in August 2023.
In Forest, all efforts are concentrated on the Neerstalle road and lines 82 and 97. The work is being split into two parts, on either side of the Ruisbroek road. Work has started on the northern section, starting in André Baillon Street, and should be completed by mid-2023. The permit for the southern section, up to Rue de Stalle, is being drafted.
As an extension of the road system, "clean half-sites" for trams are also planned for 2024 in Rue de l'Étoile.
Uccle to see many changes
Another major project planned for 2024 is the widening of the Carsoel Bridge in Uccle to create a multimodal hub for trains, bicycles, trams and buses. This should improve the flow of the 92 tram and the 37 and 60 buses.
In Uccle, a project is also in the works on Rue du Wagon. STIB's ambition is to create a new roadway for buses and active modes of transport. However, not all the land has been acquired yet, and the timetable is therefore compromised.
In Ixelles, the permit was introduced for Avenue de la Couronne and Avenue Fraiteur, where a permanent two-way road is planned on the bridge.
In Saint-Gilles, a counter-current is also planned for trams on Rue Moris and Rue Antoine Bréart.
In Schaerbeek, work is expected to begin in 2024 on Avenue Frans Courtens to improve line 63.
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Many projects have been completed already, such as the double bus lane on the inner ring road between the palace and the Porte de Namur and the semi-pedestrianisation of the Chaussée d'Ixelles.
However, many other projects have been abandoned.
The contraflow around the Koekelberg Basilica was scrapped, as well as the bus lanes on Avenue du Port, along the Brussels canal. On Willems Street in Saint-Josse, the contraflow was removed by the municipality. Due to "a lack of agreement with the municipality", there is no Avanti project on Graindor Boulevard either.
