E40 motorway bike path to be made permanent

A temporary bike path built during the pandemic at the Brussels end of the E40 motorway, between the Avenue des Communautés roundabout in Evere and the Reyers district in Schaerbeek, will become a permanent fixture following the granting of a permit.

Bruxelles Mobilité, the regional mobility authority, has obtained permission to make the path a permanent part of the capital's cycle network.

Measures will be taken to make the path more pleasant, transforming it into a real two-way track with road markings and traffic signs.

“The temporary blocks will also be replaced by concrete blocks cast in situ,” said Camille Thiry, spokesperson for Bruxelles Mobilité.

“We will be creating buffer zones and a ramp to the roadway at the junction with the Avenue des Communautés.”

Bollards will also be planted at the other end, this time at the junction with Rue du Colonel Bourg, in front of the RTBF buildings.

The region first decided to build the path during 2020 in order to encourage cycling.

The plan now is to remove a lane of the E40 dedicated to cars and use it for cycling instead. Concrete blocks will be laid over a distance of around two kilometres to mark the separation from the end of the motorway coming from Liège and increase safety.

The start date for this project has not yet been set.

The path is part of the Parkway E40 project, which aims to make the end of the motorway a calmer "urban boulevard" at the entrance to the city.