Bois de la Cambre: Traffic agreement provides some breathing space for Brussels park

Bois de la Cambre is to open partially to traffic from Thursday - but the park will remain largely car-free until the end of the summer, announced the city on Wednesday.

Following heated debate earlier in the week, an agreement has been reached by the City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region and the municipality of Uccle. They confirmed that two roads at the northern end of the park would be open to motorists from Monday to Saturday until the end of August.

The south of the 122-hectare park – including the lake area - would remain car-free and open to recreational activities. Traffic has been banned in the park since 19 March to give people additional space during the confinement period.

Acknowledging that the agreement included a number of concessions, Brussels mayor Philippe Close (PS) tweeted: “All the art of a Belgian compromise: nobody really comes out of this negotiation a winner, but the solution chosen brings each party a small satisfaction.”

From 1 September, around 80% of the park’s roads would remain car-free, the office of Brussels mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) told Bruzz.

A section of Avenue de Diane and Avenue de la Belle Alliance would open to traffic in both directions on weekdays. The road link between Avenue Louise and the Europe Hospitals in Uccle was needed to provide access for the emergency services. All other streets in the park would be closed, it confirmed.

The city has brought itself some breathing space with the agreement, but the long controversy over traffic in the urban green space is likely to continue.

The site of numerous sporting, folklore and cultural activities, the Bois de la Cambre is also home to a theatre (Théâtre du Poche), a nightclub (Jeux d’hiver) and children’s playgrounds.

Photo: ©Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA