The acting Brussels Government remains opposed to extending the ring road, even though the environmental non-profit Dryade has withdrawn its appeal to the Council of State.
"We want an agreement that does not attract more traffic to Brussels," said outgoing Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) on Monday.
The Dryade association has reached an agreement with Werkvennootschap, a Flemish Government body dedicated to complex projects, on modifying the plans to bring them into line with appropriate environmental standards, De Standaard reported on Monday.
While it is positive that an agreement has been reached, the possibility of widening the ring road has not been well-received by the Green minister. "A scenario involving the creation of an additional 10-km lane is not an option for me. All independent experts agree: more lanes mean more traffic and, ultimately, more congestion. If Flanders were to scrap the fast tram to Brussels [the fast tram project via the A12 between Willebroek and Brussels, which has been put on hold, ed.] and at the same time send more cars to Brussels, this would mean more air pollution and more traffic jams in and around our capital," she said.
The Flemish Government had already indicated that minor changes were still possible, but it believes that a fourth lane is necessary to combat bypass traffic in the surrounding municipalities.
