Belgium's longest cycle bridge opens near Nato HQ

Set to meet the needs of the ever increasing number of cyclists on the capital’s roads, Belgium’s longest cycle bridge has officially opened in Zaventem.

The 710-metre bridge, on the border between Flanders and Brussels near the Nato and Eurocontrol headquarters in Haren, will enable cyclists and pedestrians to cross the busy Boulevard Leopold III in complete safety.

Without the bridge, cyclists would have had to take "a diversion of almost a kilometre, with many potentially dangerous crossings", said Flemish mobility organisation De Werkvennootschap.

The new bridge links Harenweg in Zaventem directly to the Sint-Stevens-Woluwestraat in Machelen.

The bridge will also provide a direct connection to the future airport tram line, which will link Brussels-North station, via Boulevard Leopold III, to the airport.

The opening was supported by Dutch-speaking cycling campaign group the Fietsersbond, local businesses and Flemish business network Voka, among other organisations.

“We wanted to celebrate the opening with the local community and commuters,” said De Werkvennootschap communications manager Marijn Struyf. “So we handed out pastries and coffee to everyone who came to use the bridge with us for the first time.”

Construction of this cycle bridge is part of a broader programme around the outskirts of Brussels, coordinated by De Werkvennootschap.

The Flemish government is planning to build more than 115 kilometres of new cycle infrastructure along the Brussels ring and has invested €11.7 million in this project.

Photo: Ine Gillis/Belga