Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- The postponement of the renovation of certain tunnels is not a political choice, but is only due to technical reasons, says BRUZZ. For example, the postponement of work in one tunnel automatically leads to a postponement of the renovation of other tunnels. The choice not to renovate several tunnels at the same time is a political choice. Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Green) emphasised this on Tuesday.
The minister referred to the sudden closure of the Belliard and Wet tunnels by a burning vehicle last week to demonstrate that tunnels are a crucial part of the Brussels road network for motorised traffic. “Good maintenance is therefore of crucial importance. We keep a close eye on the situation of the tunnels,” says Van den Brandt.
After the tunnel crisis in 2016, an MIP was drawn up for the safety and renovation of the Brussels tunnels. This plan is reviewed at regular intervals.
Without affecting the objectives of the MIP, an audit was carried out in 2020 and 2021 with the aim of reducing the overall cost of major renovations and smoothing out the annual expenditure for their implementation, explained Vincent Thibert, Acting Director of the Management Board Works of art from Brussels Mobility, in the commission.
Lower costs
In this way, the total cost of the renovation could be reduced by 11.8 percent from 310 to 277 million euros (excluding VAT). This was possible by no longer taking into account the consequences of a fire caused by a heavy truck (which can no longer enter the tunnels due to the placement of porches at the tunnel entrance), eliminating half of the emergency niches, optimising the distance between emergency exits, and reducing provisions for contingencies. The latter was possible due to the growing knowledge of the actual condition of the tunnels.
The investment peaks, originally foreseen in 2022-2023 and in 2026, have meanwhile weakened considerably. An annual investment of more than 110 million euros was foreseen for this and next year. That was reduced to 30 and 40 million respectively. The peak was caused by the simultaneous renovation of the Annie Cordy tunnel and the Wet-Belliard tunnel, while the first was completed this year and the second project was postponed, Thibert clarified. The peak in 2026 is the result of the fact that the original plan then stops, while a number of investments are now continuing in the following years.
Finished two tunnels
Today, two major renovations have been completed, that of the Hallepoort tunnel and of the Annie Cordy tunnel, said Minister Van den Brandt. As part of the “major maintenance and renovation” programme, numerous other works were carried out in, among others, the Louise, Stefania, Reyers, Rogier, Woluwe, Georges Henri, Troon, Montgomery, Botanique and Delta tunnels, both civil engineering and electromechanical. right.
Lighting and signs were also installed in various tunnels, the minister continued. In addition, porches were installed in several places, preventing heavy trucks from entering the tunnels, which should reduce the risk of serious incidents such as fires.
In addition, a monitoring system has been set up to ensure that each tunnel is safe and under control. A decree has been adopted to ensure the operational safety of each tunnel. This is a regulatory framework to ensure that safety records are in place for all tunnels. The file guarantees regular inspections, knowledge about the state of the infrastructure, emergency intervention plans, etc.
“The minimum conditions to keep the tunnels open are continuously respected. We know the condition of the tunnels and the status of the risks, we have monitoring in real time. So the risks are perfectly under control,” said Minister Van den Brandt feel strong.
Major renovations are still planned, such as Reyers, Troon, Louise, Stephania and the most important, Wet-Belliard, for which the study will start shortly.
