Tunnel closures, tram changes: Brussels Mobility details all summer roadworks

Four tunnels will be closed this summer to complete major works, as part of a wide-ranging programme of renovation works on the capital's roads and on public transport, regional agency Brussels Mobility  has announced.

July and August have been chosen for several large-scale road renovation projects, as there is 20% less traffic in Brussels in this period, the agency explained.

Between 15 July and 23 August, asbestos will be moved from the Delta tunnel, meaning the entire tunnel will be closed as well as the E411 between Demey and Delta. Vehicles will be diverted via the Chaussée de Wavre, Boulevard du Souverain and Avenue des Invalides.

The nearby Beaulieu bridge (which goes over the E411 and Delta tunnel) will also be closed until 31 August, with works needed on the road surface.

From 1 July, the Tervuren tunnel will also be renovated. This will mean that only one lane will be available entering and leaving the capital until the end of August.

The Woluwe tunnel will be closed in both directions between 15-19 July, with traffic diverted above the surface.

Finally, the Reyers-Centre tunnel will not be open from 22 July to 31 August. This closure is needed as a result of Beliris’s work to redevelop the Schuman roundabout.

As well as closing the tunnels, the capital’s public service is working on major avenues including Avenue des Croix du Feu in Laeken, north of the city.

The plan is to make this avenue an “urban boulevard”, with traffic-calming measures, and also to prepare for the new Tram 10 from Neder-Over-Heembeek to the city centre, which is scheduled to come into service in the autumn.

Redevelopment will also continue in the Sainctelette zone near Brussels canal. This means that from 6-26 August, traffic in the Annie Cordy tunnel will be reduced to one lane going towards Brussels-Midi.

Parts of the city will also be developed for cyclists, with work continuing to create a two-way cycle lane between the Boulevard Léopold III and Chaussée de Haecht in Evere along Avenue Bordet. This means that just one lane will be available during the works and the shops at Bordet Station will only be accessible from Chaussée de Haecht.

There will also be improvements to the inner ring road cycle paths on the Boulevard Baudouin and the Boulevard d’Anvers as well as the zone between Rue Blaes and Rue Terre-Neuve in the Marolles district. To minimise disruption, this work will not be carried out during the Foire du Midi, taking place this summer from 13 July to 18 August.

Turning to public transport, Bruxelles Mobilité is continuing to construct the Toots Thielemans metro station near Brussels-Midi. The agency is also renovating Brussels-Central metro station, while Beliris is working on Place Royale.

The Stib is renewing tram lines on Avenue de Tervuren and the switches at the intersection of Boulevard de la Woluwe and Boulevard du Souverain, meaning that trams will not operate there. The Stib is also renovating the surface of Avenue Fonsny near Brussels-Midi station.

Road safety work will be carried out on the Chaussée de Ninove around the accident-prone zone near the Place du Triangle. This highway towards the centre of town will be shut between 11 and 24 August.

In addition, the traffic intersection between Avenue de Roodebeek and Avenue de Mars in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert will also be made safer in July and August, meaning the section of Avenue de Mars going towards Rue Colonel Bourg will be closed.