Belgian travel chaos predicted

30 August 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgian motoring organisations are predicting chaos on the country’s roads this week as hundreds of thousands of people return home from summer breaks on Wednesday 1 September.

Flemish automobile association VAB says half of the country’s road network will be “paralysed” unless drivers try to find alternative routes home.

“If motorists do not make efforts to find other routes half of the country will be paralysed because the roads are already operating at full capacity. On 1 September we should be prepared for a 15 percent increase in traffic,” said a spokesperson for the organisation.

The worst congestion is likely to occur on the Brussels and Antwerp ring roads and on the E19, E17 and E34 motorways, VAB added.

French speaking motoring organisation Touring Mobilis is slightly less alarmist.

It is predicting particular problems on the E411 motorway between Namur and Luxembourg, where traffic will only be able to use one lane.

It also warns that Rue Belliard in Brussels is likely to be particularly congested.

Subject: Belgian news