Southern loop of Bois de la Cambre to close until 15 August

The entire south loop of the avenues that run through Bois de la Cambre will shut down to traffic on Thursday for the annual summer closure. The loop, which circles the lake and is popular with pedestrians and cyclists, will remain closed until 15 August.

Most of this loop is already closed, following an agreement between the City of Brussels, on whose territory the park is located, and surrounding municipalities. That agreement, in force since December of last year, followed months of heated debate as to whether the south loop should be permanently closed to traffic.

Brussels-City had blocked access to cars on the southern loop during the corona crisis to allow residents more access to the outdoors. When it did not open re-open it after the summer, neighbouring municipalities – such as Uccle and Watermael-Boitsfort – began to complain about traffic problems.

Public protests and political squabbles followed, leading to part of the southern loop opening up during the week. On Saturdays, the entire south loop is closed, which will now be the case every day until 15 August. On Sundays, both the north and south loops are always closed, making the entire park car-free.

The entire park will also be car-free on national holidays, such as 21 July and 15 August.

Photo ©Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA