The deletion of a pedestrian bridge at Verboekhoven metro station or a redesigned Liedts metro station: these are just some of the requirements that a new permit application for metro 3 takes into account. At the end of this year there will be three information evenings about the new proposal for the northernmost part of the future metro line. The public inquiry will start early next year.
This concerns the permit application for the northern part of the new metro line, of which the federal Brussels Fund Beliris is the developer: the metro tunnel between the North Station and Bordet station. A building application with accompanying public inquiry had already been submitted at the beginning of 2022, but this had to be done again because there were too many comments.
The municipality of Schaarbeek, where four metro stations will be built, gave favorable advice, provided that a number of conditions were met. For example, the municipality wanted to see the pedestrian tunnel at the future Verboekhoven metro station deleted. The entrances to the Liedts metro station also had to be completely redesigned and the client had to apply for a new permit.
Liedtsplein redesigned
That application has now been submitted. The broad outlines of the project remain unchanged. The location and design of the seven new stations, as well as the depot in Haren, will be retained.
The Schaarbeek requirements have been met. The pedestrian bridge will be deleted: local residents feared access to their backyards. The bridge was also unnecessary, given the bridge just further away.
On Liedtsplein, the two metro entrances are combined under one canopy, which is located slightly further north. “This fits better into the views of the important axes around the square, creates a meeting place and keeps space free for pedestrian flows and possible events,” says Beliris.
Furthermore, adjustments have been made to the facade of the water treatment plant at the North Station and to the level of the platforms in Bordet, so that they are at the same height as the future train platforms. The nearby vegetable gardens will be visible from the entrance hall of Linde metro station.
Public toilets are installed in several stations, including Liedts, accessible also to people with reduced mobility outside the ticket zone. There will also be more bicycle parking facilities in and around the metro stations and, where possible, the raised smoke exhaust grilles will be ‘decorated’ with vegetation, for example.
Information evenings
To provide citizens with information and input, Beliris, together with STIB, organizes information rounds in Haren, Evere and Schaarbeek, on November 28, 29 and December 5 respectively. Anyone who wants to consult the construction plans and permit application can visit the official website of the future metro line 3.
The public inquiry itself will take place in January 2024, the exact dates are not yet known. In any case, the decision whether or not to proceed with these plans will only be made after the June 2024 elections. The estimated cost for the metro line, which is plagued by problems, has also risen sharply for this section. A political decision on this is for the next management team, as Minister of Mobility Elke Van Den Brandt (Green) and Minister of Budget Sven Gatz (Open VLD) previously stated.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
