Traffic on and around Antwerp’s ring road (R1) was heavily congested on Saturday morning due to ongoing roadworks that began Friday evening and will last until Wednesday morning.
Drivers faced 20-minute delays on the R1 from Antwerp-North to Borgerhout, while those on the E313 experienced 15-minute traffic jams from Wommelgem to Antwerp-East, according to the Flemish Traffic Centre.
Construction company Lantis is relocating the Deurne exit towards Ghent from Schijnpoortweg to Noordersingel. On the R1 towards Ghent, only two of the four lanes will remain open between Deurne and Borgerhout for the next few days. The Deurne exit towards Ghent is closed, alongside entry and exit ramps in Berchem and Merksem. The Borgerhout exit will also be shut during the night from Sunday to Monday.
The connection from E313 to the R1 towards Ghent will be closed entirely, as will the link from the R1 coming from the Netherlands to the E313. Traffic is being redirected via the Merksem and Berchem interchanges, which are being reinforced with additional measures that are causing closures on local roads in the opposite direction. To ease congestion, the Liefkenshoek Tunnel on the R2 through the port will be toll-free during daytime hours from 8 to 11 November.
From Friday evening until 12 November, the Antwerp ring road towards Ghent is being permanently reduced from four lanes to three between the AFAS Dome and the Antwerp-East junction to prepare for the construction of the Bypass.
Drivers are urged to plan their routes carefully, consider alternative transportation options, and be cautious of the ongoing roadworks.
