Eight years of renovations begin on Vilvoorde viaduct

Major renovation works have begun on the Vilvoorde viaduct, the stretch of the Brussels ring road that crosses the canal.

The project is expected to cost an estimated €435 million and last about eight years.

The viaduct, 1.7km long and 35 meters high, was designed in the 1970s and opened to car traffic in 1978.

As it is crossed by about 150,000 vehicles each day, the project aims to maintain traffic while construction is under way, by dividing the work into stages and making only parts of the bridge unavailable at any given time.

As of now, the traffic lanes will be narrowed and the speed will be limited to 50km/h on the clockwise side of the ring road.

According to RTBF, the renovation has become necessary due to the poor condition of the viaduct’s structure. Reinforcing the bridge for it to be able to withstand the weight of the cars will be one of the main goals of the works.

The first step will consist of consolidating the clockwise side of the viaduct and then work will begin on the anti-clockwise part during the second phase, from spring 2026 to spring 2027.

Phases three and four, from spring 2027 to the end of 2030, will cause the greatest disruption to traffic.

Eventually, due to the renovation and extension, a fourth lane will be added in each direction of the viaduct.