The Flemish road agency Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer announced on 22 July that extensive works on the E19 slip-road from Antwerp to Brussels’ inner ring will begin on 10 August and last until 26 September. The project involves stripping and waterproofing the bridge deck at the Machelen interchange—a critical artery for motorists heading to Brussels Airport, Leuven and Namur. During the eight-week programme only two narrowed lanes will remain open; one lane will weave through the work-site while the other diverts via Woluwelaan. Traffic-modelling suggests queues could exceed 8 km in morning rush hour, potentially doubling journey times to Zaventem. Logistics firms serving the airport’s cargo village warn of knock-on effects for same-day express shipments and crew transfers. Taxi associations fear shortages just as the airport forecasts over 90,000 daily passengers at the height of the summer peak. The road agency is urging travellers to use rail or the Ring-tram-bus, but NMBS unions have already flagged capacity constraints on the Diabolo link. Mobility managers should alert travelling staff, re-evaluate pick-up buffers and consider shifting time-critical air-freight to Liège or Ostend during the worst weeks. Digital toll-information boards will display real-time delays, and companies can subscribe to the agency’s RSS feed for nightly construction updates.
Source: The Brussels Times
