The Pont du Jubilé bridge in the Maritime District in Brussels was officially reopened on Wednesday, following almost two years of restoration work.
With its reopening, a historic link in the heart of the capital has once again been made accessible to both residents and visitors, announced State Secretary Ans Persoons (Vooruit), who is responsible for Heritage and Urban Regeneration.
The bridge connects the Brussels borough of Laeken with the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean near Tour & Taxis. It lies at a junction of various transport links for the people of Brussels.
The bridge has been listed as a monument since 2007 and has undergone a complete restoration carried out jointly by urban.brussels and the Belgian railway service SNCB-NMBS. As part of this, urban.brussels restored the wrought ironwork and the stone columns beneath the bridge, among other things.
The historic green colour has also been restored. The balustrades were completely redesigned, faithful to the original design, while the historic lighting has been reintroduced in a contemporary interpretation that respects the bridge’s history, according to Persoons.
Additionally, the authorities have also replaced the entire bridge deck and completed the renovation of the supporting structure. It has now been adapted to modern requirements and improves the safety and comfort of this strategic link between the city of Brussels and Molenbeek.
Connecting Molenbeek and Laeken
Vehicular traffic is once again possible in both directions, the wide pedestrian areas with benches offer a magnificent view of the Tour & Taxis park, and safe, separate cycle paths have been created. This was much needed, as the bridge was not exactly cycle-friendly in the past.
"Today we are not only celebrating the restoration of a historic bridge. We are also celebrating the reopening of a place that forms part of the neighbourhood's identity," said Persoons. "The bridge connects Molenbeek and Laeken, brings residents together and demonstrates how the Tour & Taxis site is continuing to develop."
In the past, railway tracks ran beneath this bridge; today, it is a very popular park. "The bridge, which had been in a state of disrepair for a long time, has now regained its full beauty thanks to a meticulous restoration," Persoons said.
The bridge will become a cycling gateway to Tour & Taxis and an additional link in the regional network. "In this way, we are making Brussels more sustainable and multimodal, and giving the residents of Laeken, Molenbeek and beyond a city tailored to their needs," said Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen).
The project cost €11.5 million and was funded equally by urban.brussels and SNCB-NMBS. Once the works are complete, the bridge will be officially handed over to the Brussels-Capital Region.
